Residents across Australia’s Northern Territory are preparing for severe weather as Tropical Cyclone Fina edges closer to the region, bringing with it destructive winds and the threat of significant flooding.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported that Fina, currently a Category 3 cyclone positioned over the Van Diemen Gulf, is generating wind gusts of up to 165km/h (102mph).
Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina will pass just north of Darwin this evening as a Category 3 system. A rapid increase in winds later this afternoon and evening is forecast in Darwin.
Current: 12:41 pm CST Saturday 22 November 2025Latest track map: https://t.co/tEt0sJOHXK pic.twitter.com/j217fVQROA
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) November 22, 2025
The system is expected to sweep across the remote Tiwi Islands and Cape Hotham on Saturday afternoon before making its closest approach to Darwin later in the evening.
Although the cyclone is not forecast to make direct landfall, it is predicted to pass just north of the Northern Territory capital as a “severe tropical cyclone,” heightening concerns for the city’s 140,000 residents.
“By Saturday evening, it is expected to make its closest approach towards Darwin. And this is where we could see the worst of the wind and also the rain across the city,” the BoM said in a statement. Authorities urged locals to “immediately commence or continue preparations, especially securing boats and property.”
Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore told ABC that Fina’s track over water would allow it to sustain its intensity, warning of “widespread heavy rainfall and damaging-to-locally destructive winds” throughout the region.
Emergency services remain on standby as residents reinforce homes, secure outdoor items, and prepare for potential power outages in anticipation of the cyclone’s passage.
