Darwin Grandfather Goes Full Tracy

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

A senior Darwin man is dusting off the plywood and stocking up on the non-perishables today, after his Tracy senses starting tingling this morning.

This comes as the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and local emergency services declared that they keeping close eyes on a Northern Territory weather system known as Tropical Cyclone Fina, which is currently overing off the coast.

Stuart Park (68) is old enough to remember the last time one of these whirlywinds came through town.

"She wasn't much fun mate" says Stuart, in reference to the disastrous weather event known as severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy, that tore through the Top End capital on Chistmas Eve 1974.

As Stuart battens all of his glass windows and garages the vehicles, he prays that this one won't be as bad, but everyone from his generation knows exactly what to do.

"Gotta get in front of these things" he says.

"We gotta go full Tracy"

"Thank God the building codes up to scratch. We didn't even need to nail the roofs on in '74"

Communities in north-west Arnhem Land and the Tiwi Islands are on high alert, with the cyclone now expected to make landfall as a category two storm by Saturday morning.

The cyclone watch zone stretches from Milingimbi in the east to the whole of the Tiwi Islands in the west, including Minjilang, Warruwi, Maningrida, Gunbalanya, Milikapiti, Pirlangimpi and Wurrumiyanga.

MORE TO COME.