With more than 1,000 thought to be dead and fears for another 500,000 with 90% of the Mozambique city of Beira destroyed by Cyclone Idai, 2019’s extreme weather continues to intensify.

The largest evacuation before a cyclone in Australia’s Northern Territory history is underway as Cyclone Trevor takes aim, to make landfall on Saturday.

Already in 2019, Australia has suffered its hottest January ever the wettest February ever the hottest start to Autumn in 30 years the hottest March heatwave in 52 years and now Australia’s Northern Territory is set to be battered by the strongest cyclone since 2015.

More than 1000 residents have been evacuated from Groote Eylandt and Numbulwar with another 1000 people being moved out of Borroloola, the McArthur River zinc mine, Robinson River and other communities all along the Gulf of Carpentaria coast to Queensland.

The entire NT Gulf coast is on flood watch with gale-force winds, heavy rain and storm surge extending 300km from the eye of the cyclone.

As Cyclone Trevor tracks across the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting that the cyclone will make landfall between Borroloola and Groote Eylandt during Saturday as a category four severe tropical cyclone.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the storm could strengthen to a category five with winds of more than 300km/h making Cyclone Trevor the strongest since 2015.

Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2019/03/cyclone-trevor-largest-ever-evacuation.html

The post Cyclone Trevor: Largest ever evacuation under way in Australia’s Northern Territory as a state of emergency declared first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

USGS / Bureau of Meteorology

Australia was rattled by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake which hit the Banda Sea in Indonesia.

Residents in Darwin, hundreds of miles from the epicentre, reported shaking strong enough to wake people from their sleep.

One resident reported to EMSC earthquake tracker: “Largest, by far, of any tremor I have felt in the past.

“Woke me from my sleep due to bed shaking. Lasted between 45-60 seconds. I live in a modern 8 story apartment building.”

A resident of Nightcliffe, Australia, said: “Building shook and everything rattled.”

And a resident of Lyons, Australia said: “Cupboard doors in my bedroom rattled quite furiously and woke me up, my family got up at the same time and said it also woke them up.”

Other residents of Darwin took to Twitter to express their shock.

One said: “Wow, what a wake up call!”

Another said: “Just felt the biggest earthquake yet in Darwin, decent amount of shaking and noise. More than a little bit concerning being in a top floor apartment.”

A third said: “Anyone in Darwin just wake up to their bed shaking?”

A testimonies of the quake were also left on EMSC from residents living on the Banda Sea, including in Timor-Leste and in Indonesia itself.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 106 miles, the US Geological Society report.

They said the quake hit at 6.14am local time (9.42pm BST).

EMSC said the earthquake was felt for up to 500km from the epicentre due to its depth.

It said 840,000 people lived in the ‘felt area’.

BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY

Australia earthquake: No tsunami threat has been issued following the earthquake felt in Darwin.

No tsunami threat has been issued for Australia, including its island territories, following the quake.

The country’s Bureau of Meterology tweeted: “No tsunami threat to Australia from earthquake felt in Darwin.”

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