Tracking Cyclone Narelle: Everything you need to know
Updated ,first published
Follow our live coverage of Tropical Cyclone Narelle.
Cyclone Narelle made landfall on Friday morning in Far North Queensland, bringing with it gale-force winds and heavy rainfall.
In the lead-up, the storm was anticipated to be the biggest cyclone to hit the region in years.
Narelle formed in the Coral Sea between Queensland’s east coast and Vanuatu, and was upgraded to tropical cyclone status on Tuesday afternoon.
Path of Narelle
The cyclone made landfall near Coen just before 8am about on Friday morning as a category 4 cyclone.
The storm was forecast to hit as a category 5 system, but was downgraded to a category 4 on Friday morning. A category 4 cyclone contains sustained winds near the centre of 195km/h with wind gusts to 270km/h.
According to the latest track map, the weather bureau predicts the cyclone will cross the Cape York Peninsula on Friday, weakening to a category 3 as it reaches the centre. By 7pm, it is expected to be a category 2 south of Aurukun, before moving out to the Gulf of Carpentaria by 9pm.
The bureau warns gales are expected to develop in coastal areas of the Northern Territory between Port McArthur and Nhulunbuy from Saturday afternoon, before strengthening to very destructive winds by nightfall.
By Friday, 14 state schools had closed and would reopen when it was safe for staff and students to attend.
The following schools in the state’s north are closed until further notice.
- Alexandra Bay State School
- Aurukun State School
- Bloomfield River State School
- Coen Campus of CYAAA
- Cooktown State School
- Daintree State School
- Hopevale Campus of CYAAA
- Lakeland State School
- Laura State School
- Lockhart State School
- Pormpuraaw State School
- Rossville State School
- Western Cape College - Mapoon
- Western Cape College - Weipa
Premier David Crisafulli said access to all communities north of Laura had been cut off, and would be “offline for an extended period of time”.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast heavy rain across the region, with a flood watch for dozens of river catchments, including:
- Jacky Jacky Creek
- Barron River
- Johnstone River
- Murray River
- Herbert River
- Staaten River
- Coleman and Edward Rivers
- Holroyd and Kendall Rivers
- Olive and Pascoe Rivers
- Archer and Coen Rivers
- Watson River
- Embley and Mission Rivers
- Wenlock River
- Ducie, Jackson and Skardon Rivers
- Jardine River
- Lockhart River
- Stewart River
- Normanby River
- Jeannie River
- Endeavour River
- Mossman River
- Mitchell River
- Daintree River (Including the Bloomfield River)
- Mulgrave and Russell Rivers
- Tully River
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