Tropical Cyclone Narelle Intensifies: Watch Issued for Far North Queensland Coast

Alert Details

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued Tropical Cyclone Advice Number 5 for Tropical Cyclone Narelle (34U). Currently a Category 2 system, Narelle is intensifying in the northern Coral Sea and is expected to deliver severe impacts to Far North Queensland. The alert was issued at 11:04 am EST on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Affected Areas

A Watch Zone is currently in effect for the Central Peninsula and Northern Tropical Coast. Specific areas and communities under watch include:

• Port Douglas
• Lockhart River
• Weipa
• Cooktown
• Coen
• Kowanyama
• Princess Charlotte Bay

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected zones are advised to take the following actions:

• Stay informed by monitoring local government Disaster Dashboards for the latest updates.
• Review cyclone preparedness and safety advice at the Get Ready Queensland website.
• Prepare for potential flooding and destructive winds as the system approaches.

Expected Conditions

Tropical Cyclone Narelle is currently producing sustained winds near the center of 110 km/h with gusts up to 155 km/h. As it approaches and crosses the coast, the following conditions are forecast:

• Wind: Very destructive gusts exceeding 250 km/h are possible near the center during landfall. Destructive gusts up to 155 km/h may affect areas from south of Lockhart River to Cooktown starting Thursday night. Damaging gusts of 120 km/h are possible between Lockhart River and Port Douglas, extending across the Cape York Peninsula toward Weipa and Kowanyama by Thursday afternoon.
• Rainfall: Heavy rain leading to flash flooding is forecast between Cape Melville and Port Douglas from Thursday evening. Locally intense rainfall is possible between Lockhart River and Cape Melville, and in inland areas west of Coen, starting Friday.
• Coastal Hazards: Tides are expected to be higher than normal between Coen and Port Douglas. Princess Charlotte Bay may see significant tide rises, damaging waves, and dangerous flooding in low-lying coastal areas on Friday.

Timeline

Tropical Cyclone Narelle is moving west at 17 km/h. Severe impacts are likely to begin late Thursday or during Friday. The system is forecast to cross the northeast Queensland coast, most likely on Friday morning, before moving across the Cape York Peninsula and into the Gulf of Carpentaria. While it may weaken over land, it is expected to remain a tropical cyclone.