The severe tropical storm fina made landfall on the northeastern coast of Kimberley (Western Australia) on the evening of November 24, bringing destructive gusts of wind, thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The latest storm news from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed that fina touched the shore near Berkeley River Mouth below level 3, creating gusts of up to 170-220 km/h - an intensity assessed as unusual for November.
At 5:00 p.m. on November 24 (local time), the center of the storm was still in the surrounding sea area with sustained winds of about 155 km/h, moving slowly southwest at only 6 km/h. Before making landfall, fina even reached Category 4 storm status while still in the warm Timor Sea over the weekend.
The storm forecast says fina will gradually weaken as it moves inland and may decrease to Category 1 on November 25. However, many risks are still warned in the northeastern Kimberley area. Extreme gusts of wind could reach 500 mph; heavy rain and rapid flooding, especially in areas near Cambridge Gulf; high waves and dangerous water surge along Joseph Bonaparte Bay.
The BOM has issued a storm warning from King George River Mouth to Berkeley River Mouth, urging residents in remote areas to continue taking shelter indoors.
At Faraway Bay resort, owner Kathie Reilly said the staff were still suffering from strong gusts of wind with heavy rain and could not go outside to check the damage. They are waiting for things to be more secure, she said.
Mr. Todd Pender, Acting Supervisor of the Kimberley Area of the Department of Fire Prevention and Emergency Response (DFES), said that fortunately, there were only 4 people in the area directly affected by Typhoon fina. Two people living in Berkeley River Lodge and two in Faraway Bay entered the shelter in advance to ensure safety.
Initially, the BOM predicted that the remote town of Kalumburu - home to about 300 residents - could be severely affected. However, fina has not yet entered the area.
Ms. Kim Holm, CEO of Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation, said the community "breathed a sigh of relief" when the storm deviated. The weather is just a bit humid, but the storm brings a very pleasant wind to reduce the pressure, she said. This is the best result we can expect.
The province has previously sent more forces from Perth to Kalumburu to prepare for damage if the typhoon makes landfall near the community.
fina is continuing to weaken as it moves inland, but the warning is still maintained today, as Western Australia faces one of the strongest unusually late November storms in many years.
