Cape braces for Nora

Cyclone may build to 200km/h winds, torrential rain, sea surges

EXTRA police are on their way to remote Cape York communities as forecasters warn Tropical Cyclone Nora could hit Queensland’s northwestern coast as a severe category three storm.

Nora is rapidly intensifying off the Northern Territory coastline and could make landfall as early as today, or possibly tomorrow.

Late yesterday afternoon it was 550km northwest of Weipa and expected to make a beeline for the peninsula’s western coast and develop into a category three system today.

Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said cyclone preparations were in full swing in many Cape York communities.

“If it hits as a cat three, in some of those communities we could see some widespread devastation,” he told ABC radio.

“Our main goal right now is about protecting life.”

It was predicted Nora would then track south parallel to the coast, but the Bureau of Meteorology now sees it moving in a more southeasterly direction between the Gilbert River mouth and Kowanyama.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll urged residents to get prepared quickly as they only had a limited window before the weather started to affect communities.

Vulnerable patients in Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw are being evacuated to Cairns.

“These include clients such as those who are on home oxygen supplies, people on home dialysis or those dependent on medical services,” Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service chief Terry Mehan said.

Health services are continuing to operate as normal.

The Northern Territory is also on cyclone footing.

On Mornington Island the council has arranged an extra flight for people who want to leave. The island does not have a cyclone shelter.

If Nora reaches category three, wind speeds will escalate to 165-224km/h, strong enough to cause roof and structural damage if it crosses the coast in a populated area.

There’s also a risk of abnormally high tides and large waves in foreshore areas.