Darwin and the Top End warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus

Darwin is in the direct line of a cyclone expected to form into a category 2 storm north of Australia on Friday.

Cyclone Marcus forecast track map issued at
11:13 am ACST Friday 16 March 2018.

Residents of the Northern Territory capital city and across the Top End have been warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus, which is predicted to make landfall overnight and hit Darwin in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Areas from Maningrida to the Daly river mouth, including Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, are on an official cyclone warning, along with areas from the Daly river mouth to the Western Australia border.

WA emergency services have also issued a blue alert, urging those in areas from the NT border to Mitchell plateau, including Kununurra and Wyndham, to make preparations.

Read Helen Davidson’s story from The Guardian - “Darwin and the Top End warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus.”

Victoria, Tasmania and NSW to be hit with coldest snap of the year

A MONSTER storm is coming our way and expected to cause chaos as it moves through south eastern Australia.

A storm being described as a "monster" will move
through south-east Australia this weekend.

It will bring with it what is expected to be the biggest snow dump of the year.

A low-pressure system will move over the Western Australia and South Australia border later this week, pushing a cold front over Tasmania and Australia’s south-east this weekend.

South Australia will cop a chilly weekend, with just 6C expected in Adelaide on Saturday and Sunday.

Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW will be hit on the weekend with damaging winds, rain, hail and blizzards.

Read the story by Olivia Lambert - “Victoria, Tasmania and NSW to be hit with coldest snap of the year.”

Florida facing its 'most catastrophic' storm ever, as Irma arrives

Florida faces the “most catastrophic” storm in its history as Hurricane Irma prepares to unleash devastating force on the state, including 120mph winds, life-threatening sea surges that could submerge buildings and an advance battery of tornadoes.

A street in Villa Clara, Cuba Hurricane Irma hit. Irma approaches
 Florida where many areas are under mandatory evacuation orders. 

“You need to leave – not tonight, not in an hour, right now,” Governor Rick Scott commanded in a press conference, 12 hours before the cyclone was expected to make landfall on Sunday morning. “This is the most catastrophic storm the state has ever seen.”

The US national hurricane centre said in its 8pm Saturday update on Irma that “heavy squalls with embedded tornadoes” were already sweeping across south Florida. The US National Weather Service later said the first hurricane-force wind gust had been recorded in the Florida Keys, a low-lying island chain off the state’s southern coast.

Irma dropped to a category three hurricane but could regain its category four intensity as the bathtub-warm seawater of nearly 32C (90F) will enable the storm to build strength.

Read the story by Oliver Holmes on The Guardian - “Florida facing its 'most catastrophic' storm ever, as Irma arrives.”

Typhoon Hato: Hong Kong issues highest warning, halts trading

Hong Kong upgraded the storm warning to the highest for the first time in five years and cancelled its stock exchange morning trading session as Severe Typhoon Hato drew closer to the financial centre.

A man holds onto a lamp post against strong wind
as Typhoon Hato hits Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and schools and most businesses in the Asian financial hub closed.

Streets were largely deserted on Wednesday as winds intensified and rain lashed down, with many skyscrapers in the heart of the financial centre in darkness as the city battened down for one of the worst storms in years.

Hato churned up water in the iconic Victoria Harbour and triggered large swells and massive waves on some of the city's most popular beaches, with the weather observatory warning of serious flooding in low-lying areas.

Read the Melbourne Age story - “Typhoon Hato: Hong Kong issues highest warning, halts trading.”