Overview
- Tropical Cyclone Narelle, currently a strengthening system over the northern Coral Sea, is forecast to intensify rapidly and cross the Far North Queensland coast near or north of Cape Melville on Friday, with the Bureau of Meteorology projecting a Category 4 landfall and a brief Category 5 peak possible offshore.
- A warning zone is active between Lockhart River and Cape Tribulation, with a broader watch extending south to Port Douglas and inland across the Cape York Peninsula to Weipa and Kowanyama as impacts are expected to begin Thursday and could arrive as early as Thursday evening.
- Forecasters warn of very destructive wind gusts above 200 km/h near the center, destructive gusts around 160 km/h along exposed coastal sections, widespread rain of 100–350 mm with locally higher totals, flash and riverine flooding, and storm tides that could cause dangerous coastal inundation, especially in Princess Charlotte Bay.
- Queensland authorities have begun evacuations including Lizard Island and Port Stewart, are conducting door‑to‑door welfare checks, and have deployed additional resources — 49 police, 74 fire and rescue crews, and 20 paramedics — as the premier urges residents to complete preparations.
- After crossing Cape York, Narelle is expected to re‑emerge over the Gulf of Carpentaria and impact the Northern Territory’s east coast near Groote Eylandt or Borroloola around Sunday, likely as a Category 2 system, with a further track toward Western Australia next week still under assessment; NT services are preparing as major hospitals operate under code yellow pressures from recent floods.