Hot Port News from GAC

In its Tropical Cyclone Advice No.6 issues at 4.55pm ACST today (4 March), the Australian Bureau of Meteorology states that the Cyclone Warning has been extended to coastal areas of northwest Top End, and now includes Darwin.

AREAS AFFECTED:
Warning Zone – Daly River Mouth to Point Stuart, including Darwin, and Cape Fourcroy to Croker Island in the NT.
Watch Zone – Daly River Mouth in the NT, including Wadeye, to Mitchell Plateau in WA, including Kununurra and Kalumburu

Details of Tropical Low at 3:30 pm ACST [2:00 pm AWST]:
Tropical Low, sustained winds near the centre of 45 kM per hour with wind gusts to 85 kM per hour.
Located within 55 km of 9.9 deg South / 131.7 deg East, estimated to be 205 km north northeast of Milikapiti and 295 km north northeast of Darwin.Moving southwest at 14 km per hour.

A tropical low is developing in the Arafura Sea and may form into a tropical cyclone near the Tiwi Islands early on Sunday. The system is expected to track in a southwesterly direction into the Timor Sea during Sunday and may pass close to Darwin. The cyclone may intensify further during Sunday night or Monday before crossing the north Kimberley coast later on Monday as a Category 2 system.

HAZARDS:
GALES with gusts to 110 km per hour may develop between Croker Island and Cape Fourcroy early on Sunday, and extend south between Point Stuart and Daly River Mouth, including Darwin, during Sunday.
GALES may extend further south between Daly River Mouth and the NT/WA border, including Wadeye later on Sundayand Monday. GALES may extend west between NT/WA border to Mitchell Plateau during Monday.
A STORM TIDE between Croker Island and Cape Fourcroy may occur as the cyclone centre crosses the coast on Sunday morning. Tides may rise significantly above the normal high tide, with DAMAGING WAVES and DANGEROUS FLOODING.
Tides will be HIGHER THAN NORMAL between Point Stuart in the NT and Mitchell Plateau in WA on Sunday and Monday. Large waves may produce MINOR FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas.
HEAVY RAIN and SQUALLS are likely to develop over the Tiwi and Croker Islands and Cobourg Peninsula tonight, extending to the western Top End during Sunday and to the Kimberley region on Sunday night or Monday.

For information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com