As the long weekend begins across Australia, severe weather warnings are in force in parts of the country’s southeast, while roads are closed and evacuation centers opened in Western Australia in anticipation of a tropical cyclone making landfall this afternoon.
Tropical Cyclone Luana was named this morning as it emerged off the coast of Broome, north-west WA.
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) senior meteorologist Jonathan How told SBS News the cyclone was heading towards the Dampier Peninsula, where it is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 system before making landfall this afternoon.
“It will move as a Category 1 system across the Dampier Peninsula and towards Derby this evening, gradually turning and moving southwards,” How said.
“We’ve already seen the winds increasing in that part of the coast, and we’re also seeing the rainfall increasing.”
A Category 2 system promises intense winds of up to 140 km per hour around the center of the cyclone, while at the edge speeds only decrease to about 120 km per hour.
It is the second tropical cyclone to hit the Kimberly region in several weeks, after Tropical Cyclone Hayley tore through Broome in late December, hitting a Category 4 with gusts of up to 140 miles per hour.
How to say, while the residents of Kimberly were probably ‘used’ to the cyclone safety practiceshe warned holidaymakers to remain “extra alert”.
“Just because it’s cyclone season doesn’t mean people should be complacent,” he said.
“We also expect flooding as the cyclone moves further inland. Roads may be cut and people may be stranded over the festive period.”
On Saturday morning, roads in Broome were closed and a Watch and Act notice was issued for the Dampier Peninsula. Emergency services WA urged locals and travelers in the area to reconsider travel plans for the long weekend.
‘Significant and prolonged’ heat wave
BoM has also warned of potential catastrophic bushfire danger as an intense and prolonged heatwave sweeps through NSW, South Australia, Victoria and southern Queensland, with the potential for record temperatures over the next week.
“We are seeing very significant and prolonged heat wave build-up,” How said.
“It will be the highest temperatures we have seen since the summer 2019-20 Black summerand we could see January records or even all records broken.
“What will make this heat wave more dangerous is how long it will last. Inland parts of the affected states will likely see a period of five to seven days in the low to mid, even high 40s.”
Temperatures will rise above 40 degrees Celsius in Adelaide and Melbourne on Saturday, while Adelaide is expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius. In inland Victoria and NSW the mercury will reach the high 40s. In Port Augusta, in the north of South Australia, a temperature of 47°C is forecast.
While a mild cool change is expected to drop temperatures in Adelaide and Melbourne after next week, it will not reach inland areas, where the severe heat will not peak until Tuesday or Wednesday.
How to put it: Over the course of the week, many south-eastern locations, including parts of NSW and southern Queensland, were also expected to experience temperatures in the mid to high 40s.
“There’s really only going to be some meaningful relief next week, so it’s a very long, sustained heat wave with increased fire danger as well,” he said.
While Australians may be used to heat in the summer, it was important to be careful during extreme temperatures.
“As we reach these temperatures in the 40s, and in some cases drop into the low 30s at night, it can put a lot of stress on the body,” he said.
“We would like to remind people to drink plenty of water, stay out of the heat of the sun and of course keep an eye on pets and animals, who may find it more challenging.”
For the latest news from SBS News, download our app And subscribe to our newsletter.
#Heatwave #fires #cyclone #Severe #prolonged #weather #sets #long #weekend