Tiwi Islands, West Arnhem Land residents prepare for Cyclone Fina
Simon Munkara says Tiwi Islands residents are feeling ready ahead of Tropical Cyclone Fina's passage. (ABC News: Michael Franchi)
In short:
Tiwi Islands residents say preparations are well underway ahead of expected destructive winds and heavy rainfall as Tropical Cyclone Fina approaches.
The category two system is forecast to make landfall near Cape Don on Friday evening before moving between Melville Island and the mainland on Saturday and into Sunday morning.
What's next?
The Bureau of Meteorology is advising residents near Minjilang to complete preparations quickly and be prepared to shelter in a safe place.
As Tropical Cyclone Fina moves closer towards the Northern Territory, residents in the coastal and island communities in its path are bracing for expected wild weather, including heavy rainfall and destructive winds.
The Bureau of Meterology (BOM) is forecasting the slow-moving category two system to make landfall late on Friday near Cape Don on the Cobourg Peninsula.
Remote communities in its path, including Minjilang, Warruwi, the Tiwi Islands and Gunbalanya, are subject to a cyclone warning.
Darwin is also in the warning zone, with the Daly River Mouth to Dundee Beach in a watch zone.
The BOM is forecasting destructive wind gusts up to 155km/h to develop between Cape Don and Warruwi from Friday and to extend to the Tiwi Islands from early Saturday.
Meanwhile, widespread daily rainfall totals of between 50 and 200mm are forecast for the warning and watch areas, with up to 300mm possible for areas closest to the storm's centre.
The latest BOM track map shows Tropical Cyclone Fina making landfall near Minjilang, then passing between the Tiwi Islands and Darwin. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)
Preparations on the Tiwi Islands
In an update to the media on Thursday, BOM NT senior officer Jude Scott said wind and rain were expected to increase on Friday on the Tiwi Islands, hitting the communities of Milikapiti, Pirlangimpi and Wurrumiyanga.
Residents have also been warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide on Friday and Saturday, with tides expected to rise significantly above normal high tide levels, along with damaging waves and flooding.
Extra police officers have already been sent to the Tiwi Islands, as well as Minjilang and Warruwi, to support communities.
The Bathurst Island coastline was relatively calm on Thursday morning, despite the impending arrival of Tropical Cyclone Fina. (Supplied)
Bathurst Island resident Simon Munkara said residents were calm and preparations were underway, with the closure of the local school giving locals more time to stock up on supplies.
"We're aware we've got to be prepared, there's no work for us [today] which is good, so we have to be prepared for the coming days," he said.
Mr Munkara said communication between local community leaders, authorities and residents had been efficient.
"Everyone will chip in and remind everyone, especially out in the community … you've got to be ready and get supplies … before the big storm gets us on Saturday," he said.
While some supermarket shelves in Darwin were stripped of essential items earlier this week, Tiwi woman Tictac Moore said shops in Milikapiti, on the Tiwi Islands' Melville Island, were well-stocked.
"There are things that we're really stocked up on at the shop, like a lot of [tinned] food. There's a lot of stuff in the freezers, and noodles and all that sort of stuff. I think we'll be okay," she said.
"We're on an island where we've got fish in the sea, we've got buffalo, we're not going to starve here."
Concern about cyclone shelters
Tiwi Islands Regional Council deputy chief executive Heidi Dorn said, while regular first-response meetings were being held between emergency services and local organisations, the lack of cyclone shelters on both Melville and Bathurst Islands was "quite alarming".
"Although everyone is calm, it's still in the back of everyone's mind, making everyone a little bit nervous," she said.
"We're getting together quite regularly across both islands and all three communities to ensure we're kept up-to-date.
"But not having that cyclone shelter means that if the cyclone does increase coming across both islands, it's not an easy exit, because obviously we can't go by water, and by plane is also risky."
Heidi Dorn says the lack of cyclone shelters in the Tiwi Islands is "alarming". (ABC News )
Ms Dorn said emergency service staff were in talks with communities on the Tiwi Islands to ensure residents living in less secure housing sought refuge with family members, or in schools and recreational halls.
"They're not cyclone-rated, but at least it's a refuge if we need to bring people in," she said.
Mr Munkara said residents in some communities, including his own, had been advised by police to vacate their properties and seek shelter by midday on Saturday.
"The police are onto that, so that's good, everyone I think knows that we have to be out by Saturday," he said.
"We got a couple of shelters in a couple of schools, buildings at the shire council, and in some new houses, families can squeeze in."
This image from the Bureau of Meteorology shows the rate of rain over parts of the NT coast, as of Thursday night. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)
West Arnhem residents urged to 'stay safe'
In a statement on Thursday, West Arnhem Regional Council Mayor James Wood urged residents in Minjilang, along with communities and homelands across the wider West Arnhem Land region, to "please stay safe".
"Please keep up-to-date with official warnings, look after one another, and share information with family, neighbours and those who may not have easy access to updates," he said.
Mr Wood urged residents to take "all necessary precautions".
Territory Emergency Operations Group Incident Controller, Superintendent Kirsten Engels, said that while the cyclone watch zone had been extended to include Darwin on Thursday, authorities were focused on "a number of priority areas" forecast by BOM to bear the brunt of the system.
Superintendent Kirsten Engels urged residents to prepare but not to panic. (ABC News )
"Our focus is starting on those highest risk areas of Minjalang and Warruwi," Superintendent Engels said.
"We have police on the ground at both of these areas, and we are working with the local emergency committee there. The people on the ground are meeting with them regularly.
"Our next priority is looking at the Tiwi Islands, followed by Darwin. And we'll continue to track any of the other communities that may be impacted."
Superintendent Engels said the Territory Emergency Operations Centre was fully operational, and would continue to work with all relevant agencies "to gather information and make timely decisions".
She said there were no evacuations planned at this stage, but authorities were continuing to monitor the situation and would advise on evacuations "if it gets to that point".