Weather news ex tropical cyclone kirrily storm update wind rain flooding 20240126 p5yz3e.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Ex-tropical cyclone Kirrily still packing a punch in North Queensland

Karishma Sarkari
Karishma Sarkari

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While Townsville escaped major destruction when Cyclone Kirrily crossed the coast as a category 2 storm overnight into Friday, the threat isn't over for North Queensland.

The storm has weakened to a tropical low but continues to produce heavy to intense rainfall with possible damaging winds forecast for parts of the northern interior and western Queensland across the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warns there could be "dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding possible from early Saturday morning for areas between Winton, Richmond and Cloncurry".

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A tree is shown knocked over by strong winds on January 26, 2024 in Townsville, Australia

While Townsville escaped major destruction when Cyclone Kirrily crossed the coast as a Category 2 storm, the threat isn't over for Northern Queensland. Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The deluge could produce isolated six-hourly totals between 120mm to 150mm, with 24-hourly totals of 180mm possible.

The weather system was located on Friday night between Hughenden and Winton, tacking south-westerly.

It's set to take a more westerly track towards the Northern Territory border during Saturday, the bureau forecasts.

Currently, heavy rainfall is occurring about the south-western parts of the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, south-eastern Gulf Country and north-western Central West districts, which the BoM warns could lead to flash flooding.

"Heavy rainfall is forecast to extend further inland towards the eastern North West district overnight, persisting through Saturday," the bureau said.

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"Six-hourly rainfall totals between 70mm to 110mm are likely, with 24-hourly totals up to 130mm."

Townsville has escaped major destruction from Tropical Cyclone Kirrily as the storm shifted gears before crossing the coast.

The now ex-tropical cyclone has weakened to a tropical low but continues to produce heavy to intense rainfall  9News

Residents in Townsville have begun the clean-up with the storm still packing a punch despite dropping from a category 3 to a category 2 just before making landfall.

The damaging winds - with gusts of over 100km/h - were strong enough to bring down trees and power lines, plunging 64,000 homes and businesses into darkness.

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Despite the damage, authorities were relived there were no deaths or missing persons reported in connection to the storm.

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