Residents across Darwin and the Top End are beginning the clean-up after Tropical Cyclone Fina brought destructive winds and heavy rain over the weekend. The storm, which arrived as a category 3 system, intensified to a category 4 cyclone on Sunday afternoon as it moved towards the northeast Kimberley coast. It is expected to weaken quickly on Monday.
Wind gusts reached 195km/h near the centre, with sustained winds of 140km/h. Darwin airport recorded 168.6mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday. The storm caused significant damage, including downed trees, damaged homes, and power outages affecting nearly 19,500 properties. Phone and internet services were also disrupted, with some outages expected to last until Tuesday.
No serious injuries were reported, but a ceiling collapse at Royal Darwin Hospital on Saturday caused no harm to patients. The hospital had been placed on code brown due to staff shortages and was operating on an emergency-only basis. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro confirmed the hospital had returned to normal operations by Sunday afternoon.
Emergency shelters were opened in Darwin, Palmerston, and rural areas, with residents advised to stay indoors until Sunday afternoon. By then, authorities began damage assessments. Local resident Kent Pedersen described the damage as the worst since Cyclone Tracy in 1974, noting trees down in nearly every yard.
PowerWater crews began assessing damage to restore electricity, while Optus and Telstra worked to repair mobile and internet services. On one street, a 10m palm tree fell onto power lines, blocking the road. Resident Nitsa Kotis said neighbours had gathered outside to inspect the damage and charge devices from car batteries.
