Cyclone Kirrily Makes Landfall in Australia as Severe Storm

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Australia is being lashed by damaging winds and heavy rainfall as Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily makes landfall, the biggest system to hit the Queensland coast in almost five years.

Kirrily is crossing near Townsville as a , and very destructive wind gusts at 170 kilometers (106 miles) per hour may occur, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland on Friday, the weather forecaster said.

“We could see hundreds of millimeters coming through in just a period of six or eight hours as this system moves across the coast,” said Miriam Bradbury, a meteorologist at the bureau. “That could quickly lead to flash flooding.”

A storm tide is expected between Townsville and Mackay, and large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore, the bureau said. The last Category 3 cyclone that crossed the Queensland coast was .

The state is still recovering from the widespread flooding that was unleashed by Tropical Cyclone Jasper last month, which inundated homes in the far north and damaged sugar crops. With the approach of Kirrily, it’s the first time that two systems have hit Queensland weeks apart since 2015.

Kirrily has led to the and prompted , with across the tourism hotspot evacuating guests. The cyclone could impact sugar crops, mango, pineapple, avocado, chicken and dairy farmers in the region, according to the Queensland Farmers’ Federation.

Queensland accounts for about 95% of Australia’s . Kirrily is likely to bring heavy rains and strong winds to the Burdekin district south of Townsville, a major in the state.

The country’s cyclone season typically runs from November to April.

Photograph: Townsville residents fill sandbags in preparation for the on-coming cyclone on Jan. 24, 2024. Photo credit: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

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