By Justin RouillonTuesday 2 Mar 202196five BreakfastNewsReading Time: 2 minutes
Listen: The Today Show’s Reece D’Alessandro speaks with Ken & Nicky about the outlook for the state’s north coast.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has this morning advised that Tropical Cyclone Niran has developed northeast of Cairns.
The cyclone is moving slowly northeast, away from the coast, and is not expected to make landfall. The BOM also advises that heavy rain, gale winds and abnormally high tides are possible.
TC Niran’s position at 7am, Tuesday March 2nd (Bureau of Meteorology).
Banana growers in the coastal areas of Innisfail and Tully have reported widespread losses, with some farmers seeing 100 per cent of their crop destroyed.
PICTURES: Banana plantations around Innisfail have been flattened by cyclonic winds.
Farmers yet to assess the damage as TC Niran forms off the coast of Cairns.
Details on @TheTodayShow. pic.twitter.com/Ht1KAEeerq
— Reece D’Alessandro (@R_DAlessandro9) March 1, 2021
Reece D’Alessandro is a reporter with The Today Show and Channel 9 News and is on the ground in Ingham and told 96five’s Ken & Nicky that although TC Niran was moving away from the coast, the system was intesifying.
“As it intensifies today we’re expecting the winds to pick up north and south of Cairns, so all eyes are on where this cyclone will end up, it’s really anyone’s guess at this point. Forecasters do expect it to develop into a Category 2 system by tomorrow and possibly a Category 3 by as early as tomorrow night.”
Reece said that the locals were well prepared for any flash flooding the system may bring.
“I spoke to one local who said that this would be the third flood of their summer, they are well rehearsed and well prepared in terms of flooding here in Ingham”.
The current BOM advice is that gales with gusts to 100km/h may develop about coastal and island communities between Cape Flattery and Innisfail late this evening or during Wednesday morning, and then extend further south to Lucinda later on Wednesday if the system tracks a significant distance to the west and closer to the coast. Gales may also develop between Cape Melville and Cape Flattery later on Wednesday.
Heavy rainfall has eased along the north tropical coast, but may redevelop late this evening or during Wednesday in the warning area if the cyclone tracks closer to the coast. A Flood Watch and several flood warnings are current for the north tropical coast between Cooktown and Rollingstone.
#BREAKING: Queensland’s Tropical low has officially formed into Tropical Cyclone Niran. #9News pic.twitter.com/WEqU1U6z3z
— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) March 1, 2021