Tropical Cyclone Fina Heads Ashore Today: What Australians Must Know

Tropical Cyclone Fina Intensifies, Threatening Darwin and Surrounding Areas

As Tropical Cyclone Fina continues to move through the region, it is expected to strengthen to a Category 2 system, prompting warnings for Darwin and surrounding coastal areas. The slow-moving weather system has already generated peak gusts of 100 km/h and is currently located approximately 340 km northeast of Darwin and 110 km north-northeast of Minjilang.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Fina is anticipated to reach Category 2 status on Friday. This development has led to warnings being issued for several regions, including the Tiwi Islands and the area stretching from Cape Hotham to Warruwi. These areas encompass Cobourg Peninsula, Minjilang, Gunbalanya, Pirlangimpi, Milikapiti, and Wurrumiyanga on the Tiwi Islands.

Spokesperson Jude Scott highlighted that widespread rainfall totals of between 50 millimetres and 200 millimetres are expected in these areas. "This could be up to 300 millimetres of rain in the areas closest to the center of the system," she noted. An initial flood watch has also been issued for the northwest coastal rivers as creeks and rivers are expected to rise due to the forecasted rainfall.

The cyclone watch zone currently spans from Daly River Mouth to Cape Hotham, including Dundee Beach and Darwin. Ms. Scott confirmed that Darwin is within this watch area due to the potential for gales on Saturday, which could occur from later in the morning into the afternoon. However, the impact on Darwin will depend on the cyclone's path.

"If the track hugs the Tiwi Island coast, then the impacts will be less on Darwin," she explained. "If the track moves closer to the mainland north Australian coast, then Darwin is likely to see the impacts of the cyclone during Saturday."

Gales with damaging wind gusts of up to 120 km/h could develop over the Cobourg Peninsula between Cape Don and Warruwi on Friday morning. These gales are expected to extend further west to include the Tiwi Islands during late Friday and to Darwin during Saturday.

Fina is forecast to further intensify into a severe tropical cyclone during Sunday afternoon in the southern Timor Sea. There is also a chance that it could reach Category 3 intensity earlier, during late Friday or early Saturday, as it moves into the Van Diemen Gulf.

Weather Forecast for Major Cities

Sydney

• Friday: Min 17°C, Max 21°C. Cloudy. High chance of showers, becoming less likely late this afternoon and evening. Winds southerly 20 to 25 km/h tending southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h in the morning.
• Saturday: Min 17°C, Max 23°C. Cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending easterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening.
• Sunday: Min 18°C, Max 26°C. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then tending south to southeasterly during the evening.

Melbourne

• Friday: Min 9°C, Max 19°C. Mostly sunny. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending southerly 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day.
• Saturday: Min 10°C, Max 23°C. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late afternoon and evening. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending southeast to southwesterly in the morning then tending southwesterly in the late evening.
• Sunday: Min 15°C, Max 22°C. Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Light winds becoming southerly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon then tending southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the evening.

Brisbane

• Friday: Min 21°C, Max 30°C. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.
• Saturday: Min 21°C, Max 29°C. Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.
• Sunday: Min 21°C, Max 29°C. Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Perth

• Friday: Min 16°C, Max 28°C. Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening.
• Saturday: Min 17°C, Max 25°C. Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the late afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the morning then turning west to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day.
• Sunday: Min 15°C, Max 21°C. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h.

Darwin

• Friday: Min 26°C, Max 33°C. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon and evening, possibly severe with damaging winds and heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding. Winds south to southeasterly 25 to 40 km/h increasing to 35 to 45 km/h in the late evening.
• Saturday: Min 24°C, Max 30°C. Cloudy. Very high chance of rain. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening, possibly severe with damaging winds and heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding. Destructive wind gusts exceeding 130 km/h possible from the late afternoon depending on movement and development of Tropical Cyclone Fina.
• Sunday: Min 23°C, Max 31°C. Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. A thunderstorm likely in the morning and afternoon. Damaging wind gusts exceeding 90 km/h possible depending on movement and development of Tropical Cyclone Fina.

Adelaide

• Friday: Min 10°C, Max 25°C. Partly cloudy. Winds easterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light in the middle of the day then becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the evening.
• Saturday: Min 15°C, Max 25°C. Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm in the late afternoon and evening. Winds easterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light before dawn then becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening.
• Sunday: Min 17°C, Max 31°C. Sunny. Light winds.

Canberra

• Friday: Min 7°C, Max 18°C. Cloudy. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending easterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the late evening.
• Saturday: Min 9°C, Max 20°C. Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the late evening.
• Sunday: Min 12°C, Max 28°C. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. A thunderstorm likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming northwest to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then tending southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the evening.

Hobart

• Friday: Min 7°C, Max 18°C. Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon then tending easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the evening.
• Saturday: Min 7°C, Max 19°C. Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then tending southerly in the late afternoon.
• Sunday: Min 11°C, Max 20°C. Cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the morning. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then tending east to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon.