Cyclone Fina's Deadly Strike on the Top End - Wild Weather Looms On

0 0 Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Darwin has faced intense winds of up to 205km/h, the strongest to impact the Top End since the devastating Cyclone Tracy 50 years ago, causi...

Darwin has faced intense winds of up to 205km/h, the strongest to impact the Top End since the devastating Cyclone Tracy 50 years ago, causing roofs to be torn off andremoving a part of the main hospital's roof in the city.

A severe tropical cyclone named Fina, classified as a category three, swept past the coastline during the night, causing widespread damage with its strong winds as it moves westward over the ocean.

No injuries have been reported, although the electricity is still not restored throughout the city.

A section of the roof at the Royal Darwin Hospital has given way duringaccounts of water present within the structure.

People living in Darwin and nearby areas have been instructed by emergency officials to remain in their residences or designated emergency shelters until it is safe to go outside.

Category three Fina unleashed powerful winds and intense rainfall on isolated Tiwi Islands communities, followed by Darwin and its surrounding areas on Saturday and into Sunday.

Forecasters currently have Fina positioned just north of Darwin.

NT Police incident controller Kirsten Engels advised locals to remain indoors, yet the heavy downpours on the streets and strong wind blasts ensured most people stayed inside regardless.

Emergency shelters are available in Darwin, as well as in the surrounding areas of Palmerston and nearby rural regions, while those who have been evacuated are advised to carry their own bedding and provisions.

Exceptional videos shared on the internet displayed the cyclone's immense destructive force, tearing apart a power line and resulting in a minor explosion of sparks.

Strong gusts caused trees to fall throughout the city.

Personnel from the Australian Defence Force are on alert to help with the cleanup, and financial support will be provided to assist local governments and communities in their recovery.

Fina is the most powerful storm to hit the Northern Territorypass DarwinSince Cyclone Tracy struck on Christmas Day 1974, which resulted in 66 deaths and destroyed the city, leading to the displacement of thousands.

The system was stronger than Cyclone Marcus, which affected Darwin as a category two in 2018.

Currently moving in a west-south-west direction, Fina is gaining power over the Timor Sea and may reach the western part of Australia in the next few days.

A cyclone warning continues from Wadeye to Cape Hotham, covering the Tiwi Islands, Dundee Beach, Darwin, Milikapiti, Pirlangimpi, and Wurrumiyanga, with an alert area in effect from Wadeye in the NT to Troughton Island and Kalumburu in WA.

As per the latest report from the Bureau of Meteorology,the system is projected to attain category four intensity earlier than anticipated.

The guidance predicts the cyclone will reach category four status by noon today, and it will still be within NT waters.

Senior meteorologist Angus Hines from BOM cautioned that additional intense rainfall and powerful winds are expected in Darwin on Sunday.

"Strong rainbands and gusty winds are still present on the periphery of this tropical cyclone, which are highly probable to affect the Darwin region and other areas in the northern and western parts of the Top End in the Northern Territory throughout the day," he stated.

This will be somewhat different from Saturday, when the rain was continuous and unceasing.