Tropical Cyclone Megan has developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
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00:00 Miriam here at the Bureau with an update on Tropical Cyclone Megan, expected to reach
00:05 Category 3 intensity later today.
00:08 Now, 24 hours ago, Tropical Cyclone Megan was just a tropical low sitting over the Gulf
00:12 of Carpentaria, but we saw it reaching Category 1 intensity yesterday afternoon, and at that
00:18 time it was named Tropical Cyclone Megan.
00:22 We saw further strengthening in this system overnight last night, and it reached Category
00:26 2 intensity in the early hours of this morning.
00:29 And we've already seen some significant wind and rain impacts to some areas around the
00:34 western Gulf of Carpentaria, including over 600 mm in the last two days on Groote Eiland.
00:42 The system, now a Category 2 tropical cyclone, is sitting just under 200 km to the north
00:47 of Borrolula.
00:49 It's extending a Tropical Cyclone Warning Area from Alian Gula on Groote Eiland, through
00:54 across to the Queensland Northern Territory border, and then to Mornington Island in Queensland.
00:59 Now this warning area includes Borrolula, but it does not currently include Mornington
01:03 Island or Nookah in the NT.
01:06 Through the rest of today, we expect to see this system drifting gradually southwards
01:10 towards the southern Gulf coast.
01:13 It will intensify further, likely reaching Category 3 intensity, a severe tropical cyclone,
01:19 later today.
01:21 It's at this time that we expect to see the most significant and intense impacts developing.
01:27 After intensifying to a Category 3 tropical cyclone, the system will approach the coast,
01:33 likely crossing the coast sometime tomorrow.
01:36 Now the system may slow down or speed up over the next 12 to 18 hours, meaning that the
01:42 exact location of the coastal crossing, and its exact timing as well, still has a number
01:47 of possibilities.
01:49 But at this current moment, we are expecting a coastal crossing tomorrow somewhere between
01:53 the Queensland Northern Territory border and Nathan River in the Northern Territory.
01:59 After crossing the coast, tropical cyclone Megan will start to weaken quite quickly,
02:03 reaching a tropical low once again by Tuesday or Wednesday.
02:08 So what impacts can we expect as this system strengthens, approaches and crosses the coast?
02:15 Well three main impacts that we are looking at right now.
02:19 Significant winds, significant rains and abnormally high tides.
02:23 Looking at the winds first of all, we're expecting to see widespread gale-forced winds
02:27 within our warning area, with wind gusts reaching 100 or 110 kilometres an hour.
02:33 As the system reaches Category 3 strength tonight, we're expecting to see some of those
02:37 wind gusts pushing up above 120 kilometres an hour.
02:41 And as the core of the system crosses over the Northern Territory coast tomorrow, we're
02:46 likely to see wind gusts in excess of 200 kilometres an hour, if the system is still
02:51 Category 3 at the time of crossing.
02:53 Now winds of this strength are incredibly dangerous and incredibly damaging, particularly
02:58 in combination with the heavy to locally intense rainfall we're also expecting to see in
03:03 the warning area as the system strengthens and approaches the coast.
03:07 It'll likely still bring further heavy falls, even as it moves across the coast and starts
03:12 to weaken.
03:13 The third hazard we're warning for at the moment is the abnormally high tides.
03:18 Large waves, large seas, swells and the very high tides are expected to be generated by
03:24 this system, mostly in the warning area, but also spilling into other parts of the Gulf
03:29 Country as well.
03:30 We have a severe weather warning for other parts of the Gulf Country district in Queensland
03:34 for abnormally high tides today, increasing tomorrow.
03:39 Tomorrow, those abnormally high tides may reach as much as 1 metre above the highest
03:44 tide that we usually see across the whole year.
03:48 Significant tides like this can cause damage to coastal areas and extremely dangerous marine
03:53 conditions.
03:55 In anticipation of the rainfall we're looking at over the coming days, we do have widespread
03:59 flood watch areas still current for much of Northern and Eastern Northern Territory and
04:05 much of Northern Queensland as well.
04:07 River rises are anticipated with water over roads likely to cut off access routes and
04:13 possibly isolate some communities.
04:17 This system continues to unfold with that Category 3 strengthening likely later today.
04:22 Keep on top of all of the latest updates via the Bureau's website and weather app, and
04:26 we'll catch you in the next update.
04:28 [Music plays]