Get cyclone kit ready

The wet season may have brought glimpses of high temperatures and rainfall so far but the Department of Fire and Emergency Services is urging residents and tourists to remain vigilant.

DFES Kimberley Acting Supt Glenn Hall said while there was nothing of note slated for the next week, residents had a prime opportunity to make sure they were prepared with emergency supplies. “We can expect these heatwave conditions to taper off within the next week or so, and we can expect to see the return of activity that has the risk of developing tropical lows and cyclones,” he said.

“If people aren’t already prepared, now is a good time to make sure they’ve got their emergency kit stocked up, as well as any other provisions they need so we can prevent panic-buying should we go under blue or yellow alert.

“Certainly make sure you have food, a battery-operated radio, a torch, spare batteries, some money, and make sure you’re stocked up on provisions for your pets or your medication and keep up to date with the latest information.”

Acting Supt Hall said tourists would need to make themselves aware of the impact of tropical cyclones.

“They will need to learn about the community alert system and how quickly conditions can change,” he said.

It comes after the Kimberley and Pilbara regions sweltered through a heatwave to begin 2021 a month after a series of tropical lows passed over the area, bringing forth downpours, flooding and gusty winds.

Acting Supt Hall said DFES had conducted three remote community resupplies in response to December downpours.

While Broome managed more than 140mm over two days in mid-December as two tropical lows passed simultaneously, other locations like Derby, Cygnet Bay, Lombadina and Koolan Island were pelted with more than 200mm of rain.

Strong wind gusts were recorded throughout the nearby islands, including peaks of 76km/h on Adele Island and 67km/h on Bedout Island.

Tropical Low 03U developed near the Top End on December 17 and made landfall two days later near Cambridge Gulf, between Wyndham and Kalumburu. Kununurra was pelted with 93.4mm of rainfall as the low tracked south-west parallel to the coast before turning east on December 20.