Tropical Cyclone Narelle is bearing down on the Northern Territory, with destructive winds of up to 195km/h and heavy rain expected to cause major flooding. An emergency warning has been issued for areas from Nhulunbuy to Port MacArthur, including Borroloola, Numbulwar, Alyangula and Gapuwiyak.
Residents have been urged to shelter in the strongest part of their homes, such as bathrooms, and not to venture outside. The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts Narelle will make landfall around 3am on Sunday as a category 3 system, after being downgraded from category 4 while crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Defence forces have evacuated nearly 150 people from Numbulwar, with hundreds more to follow. In Darwin, about 500 evacuees are sheltering at Nightcliff High School. The federal government has activated disaster recovery payments for affected areas, including Daly River and Lansdowne in the NT.
Katherine, still recovering from recent floods, is preparing for moderate to major flooding expected by Monday. The town has received 4,000 sandbags and 110 tonnes of sand. Mayor Joanna Holden expressed concern about volunteer exhaustion after two weeks of flood recovery efforts.
The Northern Land Council has raised concerns about the quality of care in evacuation centres, citing issues with food and bedding.
