SYDNEY – About 700 people were stranded in far northern Australia on Tuesday after a tropical cyclone barrelled through their remote community, cutting off links with the rest of the country.
The Australian Defence Force tried to evacuate residents of the small Northern Territory community of Borroloola, but attempts to land aircraft on Monday were hampered by wild weather.
Residents were urged to find shelter in the community as the cyclone hit on Monday afternoon.
The Category 3 storm pummeled the area with heavy rainfall and intense winds of around 170-200 kilometers per hour, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Poor weather prevented evacuations yesterday, but we expect new deployment will occur today, said Emergency Minister Murray Watt.
Ex-tropical cyclone Megan has now been downgraded to a tropical low as winds have eased, but heavy rains continue as the storm system moves inland.
Emergency services said that despite high winds, the storm caused no fatalities and minimal damage.
But about 64,000 homes were said to be without power and residents were advised to boil water to ensure it was safe to drink.
Downpour has accompanied the tropical low to Groote Eylandt, an island off northern Australia, and caused power outages and flooding in Arnhem Land, public broadcaster ABC reported on Sunday, citing the country’s Bureau of Meteorology.
Groote Eylandt is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, while Arnhem Land is home to the traditional landowners, the Yolngu people.
Formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria, near Groote Eylandt, on Saturday afternoon, Megan has brought huge rainfall and gusty winds to the western side of the Gulf.
The cyclone that strengthened to a category two system on Saturday evening, and was earlier expected to make landfall as a category three late on Monday or early Tuesday morning between the Nathan River and the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland.
It is forecast to quickly lose strength as it moves west across the Northern Territory.
Just weeks ago, Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit Australia’s far northeast, flooding major highways and uprooting trees.
