EYES ON ALFRED
CYCLONE WATCH
PARTS of the Far North are on cyclone watch as a storm that toppled huge trees and flattened fences spirals around the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The weather bureau is tipping a tropical low to track west along the coast to the Northern Territory border before heading northeast over water.
Cyclone Alfred was expected to form as a category one system as early as tomorrow morning before intensifying into a category two in the afternoon.
Mornington Island, in the south west Gulf, lost power on Thursday night due to the storm, and the community’s weather station recorded 108mm in 24 hours and a top wind speed of 87km/h.
The island’s only store was also briefly unable to operate, but was up and running about midday yesterday.
The council’s chief executive Frank Mills said, despite the damage, the community was prepared for the storm to return.
“We’re aware the weather has passed but there’s a likelihood it could come back late Saturday or early Sunday,” he said.
“We’re now in clean-up mode from last night, then we’ll have to sit it out and see what happens.
“The community is very well prepared. This is an annual occurrence for them.”
Mr Mills said there had also been some water damage on more elevated parts of the island.
Cairns weather bureau duty forecaster Shaun Luscombe said the storm would have little impact on the Cairns region, although rainfall could in- crease if it crossed the western Cape York coast.
“We could see some shower activity associated with the cyclone as it moves inland,” he said. “It would likely start to break down as soon as it hits land.
“We only forecast for the next couple of days to February 20 because there’s too much variability and movement of the system to forecast any further than that.”
Mr Luscombe said if the storm made landfall after becoming a cyclone, it wouldn’t happen until next week.
“We’re not likely to see any effects on the Cairns region in the coming days. Overall it’ll be right for us and the most focal point will be the Southern Gulf,” he said.
On the other side of the Gulf, Kowanyama Shire Council maintenance contractor Craig Shaw said people were prepared but not too worried about the threat of a cyclone.
“The council are pretty good here. They do a big cleanup prior to Christmas and then just after,” he said.
Kowanyama yesterday remained outside the “watch” zone.
Burke Shire Council deputy mayor Paul Poole said his community was prepared.
“They’re talking a category two – we’ve got to be realistic – we get wind storms of (130km/ h) from thunderstorms ... they don’t go for as long, but you get that in a category two,” he said. “We’re just so well prepared... we’ve had so many rehearsals.”