People in the Greater Darwin region are being warned to stay inside as Tropical Cyclone Marcus moves across the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology says TC Marcus is currently over Darwin. It’s affecting an area from Dundee Beach to Point Stuart, including Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory Police say
The destructive winds from the Category 2 system has already caused outages across the city and brought down trees, blocking roads. This includes at Coolalinga, where a tree has fallen onto a gas cylinder at a petrol station, sparking an evacuation of the surrounding area.
There are also reports of downed power lines and boats that have come loose from their moorings.
No public transport is operating because of public safety.
"It’s disappointing to see people are still on the roads, risking their lives despite all our warnings," Regional Controller Warren Jackson.
"Emergency services are assessing every call at the moment, but we have limited capacity to respond.
"People should only call if there’s an immediate threat to life."
In any life-threatening situation call 000.
Anyone requiring Emergency Service assistance should call 132 500, who will survey the area after TC Marcus has passed.
The Bureau of Meteorology has extended the Warning zone from Point Stuart to the NT/WA border.
More information is available on the Bureau of Meteorology website: http://www.bom.gov.au/nt/warnings/
