#386 Postby HURAKAN » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:51 pm
Monica to hit Arnhem coast
April 23, 2006
RESIDENTS of the remote north coastline and islands of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, are being warned to expect the worst brunt of category five Cyclone Monica.
Residents of the Aboriginal community of Nhulunbuy, on the north-eastern tip of Arnhem Land, have already been urged to seek shelter as they prepare to cop the edge of the storm.
NT Bureau of Meteorology acting regional director Mike Bergin said Monica was expected to track, just off the top-end coast, over the next 24 hours.
But Nhulunbuy, the most populated area of Arnhem Land with about 4000 residents including the Gove mining community, would miss the worst of the storm, he said.
"The dangerous core of the system is probably not going to pass over Nhulunbuy, it is going to pass to the north," Mr Bergin said.
"But certainly the outer rain bands particularly this afternoon will pass through the area and the wind gusts in that will be a problem." Mr Bergin said Nhulunbuy could expect wind gusts of up to 150km/h, less than half the 320km/h fury predicted near the core of the storm.
However, Mr Bergin said smaller communities on the northern coastline and island areas west of Nhulunbuy could be in for a far tougher time.
"I wouldn't like the emphasis to come out that everything is hunky dory," Mr Bergin said.
"That is not necessarily going to be so for the communities further to the west."
Nhulunbuy resident Michael Kestel, who is hunkering down in his home with his wife and two young children, said the atmosphere was fairly "eerie".
"We are all expecting it to be really howling shortly," Mr Kestel said.
"The palm trees are starting to bend over, but it really hasn't started blowing and pouring as much as we know it will be. We are just waiting around."
Mr Kestel said residents were well prepared, having tracked the cyclone for days.
The worst of the storm is expected to hit the area mid-afternoon, he said.
The cyclone watch has been extended to the Daly River mouth, including Darwin, the Tiwi Island and Jabiru, as the cyclone moves west across the Territory.
Monica caused wide-spread flooding as it crossed far north Queensland last week.
It follows Cyclone Larry, which caused more than $1.5 billion in damage to Innisfail and surrounding areas last month.
Things should be pretty ugly in those little islands.
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