A second tropical storm could soon lash Darwin as residents continue the monumental clean-up task after Cyclone Marcus.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a monsoon trough is redeveloping off the Northern Territory coast, with a ‘moderate’ chance it will develop into another cyclone by Thursday.
‘We think [it] will continue to track westwards and given the conditions… it should develop further, so there’s certainly the chance of another cyclone forming some time later this week,’ senior forecaster Graeme King told NT News.
A second tropical storm is set to lash Darwin as residents continue the monumental clean-up task after Cyclone Marcus
The sun was shining in Darwin on Monday following a weekend of brutal weather in the aftermath of Cyclone Marcus
The Bureau of Meteorology said a monsoon trough is redeveloping off the Northern Territory coast
‘We just haven’t got enough certainty yet in the track of where the cyclone’s going to form… we’ll hopefully be able to nail that down as we go through the week.’
Darwin residents are still mopping up from Tropical Cyclone Marcus, which brought down power lines, ripped roofs from houses and sent trees rolling down city streets.
‘As you can imagine the tropical cyclone has left behind a path of destruction in the greater Darwin region,’ Senator Nigel Scullion told federal parliament on Monday.
Power had been restored to 11,000 customers but 18,000 remained without electricity, including most of the region’s schools, the NT senator said.
‘There’s certainly the chance of another cyclone forming some time later this week,’ senior forecaster Graeme King said
Darwin residents are still mopping up from Tropical Cyclone Marcus, which hit the city over the weekend
A shipping container and an uprooted tree are pictured in the aftermath of Cyclone Marcus
The storm brought down power lines, ripped roofs from houses and uprooted trees
‘It is a very difficult time. I urge all Territorians to be patient and calm as authorities co-ordinate the clean-up effort and I encourage everyone to give each other a hand,’ he said.
Students and non-essential Northern Territory public servants were told to stay home and public schools were closed.
Parents of students attending non-government schools have been told to contact their schools directly for updates.
The Casuarina, Waterfront and Palmerston campuses of Charles Darwin University remain closed.
Students and non-essential Northern Territory public servants were told to stay home and public schools were closed
Darwin was hit by 130km/h winds on Saturday uprooting trees and sending them rolling down streets
Parents of students attending non-government schools have been told to contact their schools directly for updates
Marcus has passed off the coast of far-north Western Australia and intensified back into a category two system.
It is currently north of Cape Leveque.
A cyclone warning remains for people in coastal and island communities from Kuri Bay to Cape Leveque, with wind gusts of up to 100 km/h possible.
The tropical cyclone will have no further impact on northern communities as it continues steadily west, growing into a severe category four system on Tuesday.
Trees brought down by Cyclone Marcus destroyed this car in Darwin over the weekend
‘As you can imagine the tropical cyclone has left behind a path of destruction in the greater Darwin region,’ Senator Nigel Scullion told federal parliament on Monday
Around 25,000 homes were left without power as Cyclone Marcus battered the city
Marcus has passed off the coast of far-north Western Australia and intensified back into a category two system