According to the latest storm information from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), early on the morning of November 19, fina was 315 km northeast of Dawin and 195 km northwest of Minjilang. The strongest wind near the center of the storm reached 75 km/h, gusting up to 100 km/h.
The storm is moving northeast at a speed of 9 km/h. The storm will then continue moving east-northeast before strengthening, then move around the Australian coast tomorrow, November 20.
The storm is expected to make landfall in the western Minjilang early Saturday morning (November 22 local time) before continuing towards the Tiwi Islands, Australia.
BOM weather forecaster Jonathan How said that based on current forecasts and models, the BOM does not expect the storm to intensify violently (level 3, according to the Australian Meteorological Agency's hurricane scale) in the coming time.
"The storm is quite close to the coast. We hope the storm will move a little further from shore, in very clear waters before strengthening. On the other hand, no major winds or tropical cyclones have blown through, increasing the storm's strength. At this stage, the storm is forecast to be at level 2," he said.
A Category 2 storm typically has wind speeds of 125 to 164 km/h.
How said that as it moves closer to land, fina could weaken.
As the storm moves over land or near land, its strength may begin to decline slightly, he said. We are waiting to see how things will progress by the weekend."
Previously, BOM senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said there could be a few other scenarios for the storm.
"The best estimate at this point is that the storm will move south, then southwest back close to the coast. We are not predicting any direct impact on Australian mainland until the weekend. But its certainly a system that were monitoring closely even as it moves away and then, most likely, back to the coast this weekend, the expert said.
Although the storm has not yet made landfall, people and tourists in affected areas have been notified and prepared with a storm prevention plan.
Tourists planning to visit the West of Minjilan, Tiwi Island this week should pay attention to weather forecasts. Check flight schedules and follow local instructions to avoid dangerous storms.
