Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 7:07 am ACST [5:37 am AWST] on Saturday 26 February 2022

Headline:
Tropical Cyclone Anika is drifting south towards northern Kimberley coast.

Areas Affected:
Warning zone: Dundee Beach to Mitchell Plateau, including Wadeye, Kalumburu and Wyndham.

Watch zone: Point Stuart to Dundee Beach, including the Tiwi Islands and Darwin. Also Mitchell Plateau to Cockatoo Island.

Cancelled zone: None.

Details of Tropical Cyclone Anika at 6:30 am ACST [5:00 am AWST]:
Intensity: Category 1, sustained winds near the centre of 75 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 100 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 30 kilometres of 13.0 degrees South 127.5 degrees East, estimated to be 375 kilometres west of Darwin and 170 kilometres north northeast of Kalumburu.
Movement: slow moving.

Tropical Cyclone Anika is located in the southern Timor Sea and is moving slowly south. The system is expected to reach category 2 shortly prior to making landfall over the north Kimberley coast overnight tonight.

From Sunday, the system is forecast to weaken over land and move southwest, remaining near the Kimberley coast. In the longer term there is potential for Anika to redevelop as it moves back over water offshore from the west Kimberley coast.

Hazards:
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS with gusts to 130 kilometres per hour are expected to develop about the coastal fringe between approximately Kalumburu and Wyndham near where the system crosses the coast overnight Saturday.

GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour are expected to develop today between Kalumburu and Wyndham. Depending on the speed of Anika, GALES could extend west to Mitchell Plateau or east to the WA/NT border later today. If the cyclone moves closer to the NT coast, GALES could extend from the WA/NT border to Dundee Beach later today.

GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour may develop between Point Stuart and Dundee Beach from early Sunday morning if the system moves to the east, however this is now unlikely.

GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour may develop between Mitchell Plateau and Cockatoo Island on Sunday if the system moves faster to the southwest and remains near or just offshore from the coast.

HEAVY RAINFALL is expected over the Tiwi Islands and western parts of the Daly District today with monsoonal flow to the north of the system.

HEAVY RAINFALL is also expected to develop about northern parts of the Kimberley today and continue into early next week as the system approaches the coast.

Tides near where the system crosses the coast are likely to rise above the normal high tide mark with very rough seas and flooding of low-lying coastal areas.

Recommended Action:
DFES Advises the following Community Alerts:

YELLOW ALERT for people in or around Kalumburu to Wyndham, but not including
Wyndham, you need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone.

BLUE ALERT for people between Wyndham and the NT Border, but not including
Kununurra. Kalumburu to Mitchell Plateau but not including Kalumburu, you need to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise an emergency kit including a first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.

Remaining people in the North Kimberley are advised to stay up to date with weather warnings and forecasts.

NTES advises:
- Finalise preparations for cyclone, monitor conditions and stay informed
- Move into shelter as conditions deteriorate.
- Public Shelters are not open at this time.
Information on preparing for cyclones can be found at https://securent.nt.gov.au/


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