Cyclone Trevor has made landfall on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast near the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland after more than 2000 people were evacuated from its path.
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The system began to weaken after hitting the coast between remote Borroloola in the Northern Territory and the border with Queensland about 2.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday as a category 3 cyclone.
By 9.30pm, it had been downgraded to a category two and was moving south-west between Cape Crawford in the NT and the border with Queensland.
NT police held concerns for about a dozen people who were believed to have remained in the area expected to be affected.
Winds dropped to 150km/h with wind gusts to 205km/h but areas from Port Roper in the Northern Territory to Burketown in Queensland were warned to brace for the impact.
Earlier, the system was sustaining winds near the centre of 175km/h with wind gusts to 250km/h.
More than 2000 people were evacuated from communities in the cyclone’s path, including Borroloola, Numbulwar and Groote Eylandt, as authorities urged remaining residents to prepare for flooding and “very destructive” winds.
They were warned to have supplies to last at least three days, take shelter and stay away from waterways.
It was the largest evacuation effort in the NT since Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin in 1974.
The weather event was also expected to produce heavy rain and tidal surges.
Authorities acknowledged the situation for evacuees was difficult, while NT chief minister Michael Gunner dismissed concerns indigenous people were being afforded inferior treatment to non-indigenous people from their communities.
“It’s critical during a cyclone we do everything we can to make sure everybody is safe,” he said.
“We treat everybody equally. There is some seriously bad misinformation going around right now that does nothing to help anybody.”
Councils and disaster groups issued emergency alerts for Weipa, Karumba and Pormpuraaw in Queensland, warning of the potential for water spouts and destructive winds on Saturday afternoon.
“People are asked to warn others, secure loose outdoor items, and stay indoors if affected,” authorities advised.
Late Saturday afternoon, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Adam Blazak said the cyclone was on the Northern Territory side of the border, north of the Robinson River and moving south-west at 15km/h.
“It’s heading inland towards Tennant Creek in Queensland and looks as though it will be downgraded to a tropical low by this time tomorrow but that’s not to say it’s not a strong system,” he said.
“There’ll still be fairly intense conditions at the moment and until its downgraded there is potential wind gusts strong enough to bring down large tree branches.
“Potentially on Monday, we will start to see severe Tropical Cyclone Trevor bring rainfall and storm activity to Boulia and Birdsville in Queensland as the moisture is brought down in that area when it passes.
“Rainfall could also continue into south-east Queensland so it’s worth keeping an eye on the forecasts but it won’t be until Wednesday where we could see it in Brisbane.”
Mornington Shire Council deputy mayor Sarah Isaacs said she felt the change in the weather but there was no cause for alarm.
“There’s just some high winds at the moment but nothing too concerning,” the Queensland mayor said.
“We’ve had plenty of warnings and everyone has been kept in the loop so residents have taken the necessary precautions to stay safe and buckle down.”
According to the weather bureau, the system was 45 kilometres inland of the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast about 2.30pm on Saturday.
“The very destructive core is expected to weaken further as it moves inland across the Carpentaria District today and into the Barkly District overnight,” a bureau warning stated.
“The system is expected to weaken below cyclone strength during Sunday morning west of Brunette Downs.”
Cyclone Trevor left behind a trail of damage in Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula earlier this week, uprooting trees, causing flooding and roof damage, closing schools and roads, and knocking out power supplies.
Inland locations such as Queensland’s Burketown and Doomadgee, as well as McArthur River in the Northern Territory, have been warned of gales.
Residents in Borroloola, Ngukurr and Numbulwar have been told to expect disruptions to their water supply.
- with AAP
