Australia's Northern Territory braces for Tropical Cyclone Fina

"Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said Fina, a Category 3 cyclone sitting in the Van Diemen Gulf with wind gusts up to 165 kilometres per hour (102 miles per hour), was forecast to hit the region's remote Tiwi Islands and Cape Hotham on Saturday afternoon. It would then likely pass north of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, on Saturday as a severe tropical cyclone."

"Weather bureau senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said that while the cyclone was not expected to make landfall, it would bring widespread heavy rainfall and damaging-to-locally destructive winds to Darwin, which has a population of about 140,000 people. Staying over water means it's likely to maintain its intensity, he told the ABC broadcaster. Kirsten Engels, the Northern Territory Emergency Operations Centre incident controller, urged everyone in affected areas to activate their household emergency plans and move to public shelters if needed."

Tropical Cyclone Fina is a Category 3 system centred in the Van Diemen Gulf with wind gusts up to 165 kilometres per hour. The cyclone is forecast to hit the Tiwi Islands and Cape Hotham on Saturday afternoon before passing just north of Darwin as a severe tropical cyclone and making its closest approach by Saturday evening. Remaining over water is likely to allow the storm to maintain intensity. Widespread heavy rainfall and damaging-to-locally destructive winds are expected across Darwin (population ~140,000). Residents are urged to activate emergency plans, secure boats and property, and move to shelters if needed.

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