Laurence predicted to make landfall Wednesday

As of 9:30 CST (8:30 WST) Tropical Cyclone Laurence has become a Severe categoty 3 tropical cyclone. Gusts as high as 165 kph has been recorded near Troughton Island and is expected to reach across the Mitchell Plateau. These winds are potentially destructive winds.

CORRECTED TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE
Issued by the BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY, DARWIN

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Tropical Cyclone Laurence continues to track parallel to the northwest coast of Australia dumping heavy rain on the area. Rainfall over 400 mm was recorded at the Darwin airport along with windspeeds as high as 130 kph.

Extreme rain and wind as TC Laurence makes his debut (North Queensland Register)

Darwin was whipped by a 93 kilometre an hour gust on Saturday as Laurence (then a mere tropical low) came within 30km of the city. This was the strongest since March this year and enough to cause damage to infrastructure.

Rain was also an issue. In the last 72 hours Darwin Airport has been deluged with almost 400 millimetres as Laurence continued to deepen, the wettest December in 11 years.

Other parts of the Darwin-Daly region were rained on heavily too. Batchelor has picked up 409 millimetres so far, and Dum-In-Mirrie 272mm.

Even as far inland as Katherine got a splash, which recorded 68mm to 9am on Monday morning, the wettest since February.

Currently, Tropical Cyclone Laurence is heading southwest, its course set to make landfall over the Western Australian Kimberley district sometime tomorrow.

Laurence edges closer to Kimberley coast (Sydney Morning Herald)

Gale-force winds are increasing as Tropical Cyclone Laurence edges closer to the north Kimberley coast.

The category one storm, which formed in the Timor Sea on Sunday, is expected to make landfall in the region by Wednesday afternoon.

Wind gusts have reached 110km/h over the north Kimberley coast and destructive winds of 130km/h may develop near Troughton Island later on Wednesday.

Heavy rain is expected to continue over the region and extend into the western Kimberley over the next two days.