Cyclone Fina Cuts Power To Thousands In Australia’s Northern Territory

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

SYDNEY/DARWIN (Worthy News) – Thousands of people in Australia’s Northern Territory were without electricity Sunday after Tropical Cyclone Fina swept past the region overnight, lashing the capital Darwin with destructive winds and heavy rain.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said Fina intensified rapidly before landfall, striking as a Category 3 “severe tropical cyclone” and generating wind gusts of up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour late on Saturday as it passed near Darwin.

Authorities reported widespread power outages and property damage, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.

Emergency crews spent Sunday clearing fallen trees, snapped power poles, and debris scattered across Darwin’s streets after the storm downed infrastructure across the northern suburbs.

Utility provider Power and Water Corporation confirmed that more than 19,000 homes and businesses lost electricity at the height of the cyclone.

NO SERIOUS INJURIES

Northern Territory Police said officers responded to numerous calls about downed power lines and damaged roofs.

Senior officials said residents had “heeded warnings,” a key factor in avoiding casualties.

BoM forecaster Daniel Hayes said the system had since moved into the Timor Sea but remained powerful. “We continue to advise caution along coastal areas due to strong winds and hazardous seas,” he said.

The storm stirred memories of Cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin in December 1974 with wind gusts estimated at 217 kilometers (135 miles) per hour, killing 66 people and destroying most of the city.

Australian media noted that while Cyclone Fina caused significantly less destruction, it was the strongest cyclone to pass near Darwin since Cyclone Tracy.

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