Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle Hits Cape York Peninsula as Category 3 Storm

Alert Details

Alert Type: Tropical Cyclone Warning (Category 3) Issued by: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Effective Period: Through March 20, 2026

Affected Areas

Warning Zone: Cape York Peninsula between Lockhart River and Cape Melville, and between Mapoon and Pormpuraaw. This includes the communities of Coen, Weipa, and Aurukun.

Watch Zone: Northern Territory from Nhulunbuy to Port McArthur, including Borroloola, Numbulwar, Alyangula, Ngukurr, and Bulman.

What You Should Do

Residents in the Warning Zone should prepare for gale-force winds arriving within the next 24 hours. Those in the Watch Zone should monitor conditions for gales expected within 24 to 48 hours. This alert is designed for land-based communities; mariners are advised to consult coastal waters and high seas warnings.

Expected Conditions

• Wind Intensity: Sustained winds near the center of 155 kilometres per hour with very destructive gusts reaching up to 220 kilometres per hour.
• Regional Impacts: Destructive wind gusts to 160 kilometres per hour are likely south of Lockhart River to north of Cape Melville.
• Current Position: Within 30 kilometres of 13.4 degrees South, 143.2 degrees East (approximately 45 kilometres north of Coen).
• Movement: Moving west at 21 kilometres per hour.

Timeline

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle crossed the Queensland coast around 7:00 am AEST on Friday, March 20, 2026, as a Category 4 system. It has since weakened to Category 3 and is moving west across the Cape York Peninsula today. The system is forecast to move across the Gulf of Carpentaria and is expected to restrengthen before impacting the eastern Northern Territory starting late Saturday.