Overall Green Tropical Cyclone for NARELLE-26 in Australia, Papua New Guinea from 17 Mar 2026 00:00 UTC to 25 Mar 2026 12:00 UTC

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Overall Green Tropical Cyclone for NARELLE-26

in Australia, Papua New Guinea

Event summary

Tropical Cyclone NARELLE-26 can have a low humanitarian impact based on the maximum sustained wind speed, exposed population and vulnerability.

GDACS ID	TC 1001265
Name	NARELLE-26
From - To	17 Mar - 25 Mar
Exposed countries	Australia, Papua New Guinea
Exposed population	20 thousand in Category 1 or higher
Maximum wind speed	231 km/h Category 4
Maximum storm surge	n.a.
Vulnerability	Low (Australia)

GDACS Score

For more info on GDACS alert score click here.

	Wind	Storm surge	Rainfall	GDACS score
GDACS JTWC	231 km/h	n.a.	n.a.	0.5
Single TC: maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge, rainfall)
HWRF	241 km/h	3 m	638 mm	0.5
GFS	205 km/h	2.8 m	721 mm	0.5
ECMWF	187 km/h	2.5 m	591 mm	0.5

Maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge and rainfall) using different data sources.

Virtual OSOCC

Meteo assessment

Satellite products

Analytical products

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE (ECHO 23 Mar 2026)Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:52

On 14 March a new tropical cyclone named NARELLE formed over the northern Coral Sea, close to the Solomon Islands. It started moving west toward north-eastern Queensland (north-eastern Australia) as a tropical depression, gradually strengthening. On 18 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located offshore approximately 890 km east of the coast of the Cape York peninsula (far northern Queensland), with maximum sustained winds of 137 km/h (tropical cyclone).
On the forecast track, NARELLE is expected to make landfall over the area of the Coen town (eastern Cape York peninsula) on 20 March just after 0.00 UTC, with maximum sustained winds up to 200-205 km/h (equivalent to a cat. 3 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson scale). After that it is forecast to continue moving west inland over the southern Cape York peninsula on 20 March, slightly weakening.
Very heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges are forecast over northern Queensland starting from 19 March for 72 hours. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a warning zone over the eastern Cape York peninsula.ula.

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (ECHO 24 Mar 2026)Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:12

Tropical cyclone NARELLE is moving westward across the eastern Coral Sea and is intensifying. At 04.00?UTC on 19?March, its centre was located about 230?km north-east of the town of Cooktown in north-eastern Queensland with maximum sustained winds of 220?km/?h with gusts up to 315?km/?h.
NARELLE is expected to make landfall on the Cape?York Peninsula between 19?and?20?March. After crossing the peninsula it will move over the Gulf of Carpentaria and continue moving westward. Over the Gulf the cyclone is expected to re-intensify to a severe tropical cyclone before affecting the eastern part of the Northern Territory on 21–22?March.
For the next 72?hours heavy rain, very strong winds and a tropical-storm surge are expected across northern Queensland, especially over the Cape?York Peninsula, and into north-eastern Northern Territory. The areas currently under a tropical-cyclone warning include the Cape?York Peninsula between Lockhart River and Cape?Tribulation, as well as between Mapoon and Pormpuraaw, together with the communities of Coen, Cooktown, Weipa and Aurukun.
Residents of the Cape?York Peninsula, particularly those in Lockhart River, Cape?Tribulation, Mapoon and Pormpuraaw and surrounding towns, are advised to stay informed through official updates from the Bureau of Meteorology and local emergency services.

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (ECHO 25 Mar 2026)Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:22

Tropical cyclone NARELLE made landfall over the coastal area of the Archer River town (eastern Cape York peninsula, far northern Queensland) on 19 March late evening (UTC), with maximum sustained winds up to 222 km/h (equivalent to a cat. 4 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson scale). On 20 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located inland (central Cape York peninsula), with maximum sustained winds of 114 km/h (tropical storm).
After its passage over far northern Queensland, media report evacuated people in community centres and shelters and structural damage. In the Northern Territory, in Numbulwar town area, media report hundreds of preventively evacuated people.
NARELLE is expected to continue moving west over the Carpentaria Gulf, restrengthening, and to make second landfall over the north-eastern Northern Territory (north of Numbulwar) on 21 March early afternoon, with maximum sustained winds up to 155 km/h (tropical cyclone).
Over the next 5 days, very heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges are forecast. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a warning zone over the western Cape York Peninsula and north-eastern Northern Territory.

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (ECHO 25 Mar 2026)Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:14

Tropical cyclone NARELLE made its second landfall over the north-eastern Northern Territory (north of the Numbulwar town) on 21 March in the afternoon, with maximum sustained winds up to 148 km/h. On 23 March at 6.00 UTC, its centre was located offshore, close to the coast of the far north-eastern Western Australia, with maximum sustained winds of 63 km/h (tropical storm).
After its passage over the Northern Territory, media report approximately 500 evacuated people.
On the forecast track, NARELLE is expected to continue moving south-west along the coast of northern and central Western Australia on 23-27 March, restrengthening, with maximum sustained winds of 194 km/h.
Over the next 96 hours, heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges are forecast over northern and central Western Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a warning zone over northern Western Australia.

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (ECHO 25 Mar 2026)Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:37

Tropical Cyclone NARELLE continued moving southwest across north-eastern Western Australia, now tracking offshore of the western Kimberley coast. At 06.00?UTC on 24?March its centre was situated about 110?km north of the Kimberley town of Kununurra, with maximum sustained winds of 65?km/h, tropical storm.
Between 21?and?23?March, NARELLE affected parts of the Northern Territory, producing flooded homes, disrupting infrastructure and prompting the evacuation of roughly 500?people.
The system is forecast to keep moving west-southwest, roughly parallel to the Pilbara coastline, on 25–26?March and is expected to intensify to a severe (Category?3) cyclone on 25?March. By the following day Narelle should turn to the south-southeast, heading toward the western coast of Western Australia, with impacts expected as far south as the Lower West region on 28–29?March.
For the next three days heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges are forecast over northern and central Western Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) continues to maintain the cyclone warning zone over northern Western Australia.

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (ECHO 25 Mar 2026)Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:33

On 24 March, tropical cyclone NARELLE continued moving south-west along the coast of northern Western Australia as a tropical storm, strengthening. On 25 March at 06:00 UTC, its centre was located offshore over the Indian Ocean, approximately 280 km north of the Port Hedland town (central-northern Western Australia), with maximum sustained winds of 125 km/h (tropical cyclone).
On the forecast track, NARELLE is expected to continue moving south-west along the coast of central Western Australia on 25-26 March, restrengthening. After that, it is forecast to make a further landfall over the Exmouth town area (central Western Australia) on 26 March late in the afternoon, with maximum sustained winds up to 185 km/h.
Over the next 96 hours, heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges are forecast over central and southern coastal areas of Western Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a warning zone from Port Hedland town to Exmouth town.

Detailed event map. European Union, 2026. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

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Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE, update (GDACS, JTWC, BOM, media).. 3/21/2026 1:18:00 AM.

Tropical cyclone NARELLE made landfall over the coastal area of the Archer River town (eastern Cape York peninsula, far northern Queensland) on 19 March late evening (UTC), with maximum sustained winds up to 222 km/h (equivalent to a cat. 4

...(more)

Australia - Tropical cyclone NARELLE (GDACS, BOM, JTWC) (ECHO Daily Fl.. 3/18/2026 6:08:00 PM.

On 14 March a new tropical cyclone named NARELLE formed over the northern Coral Sea, close to the Solomon Islands. It started moving west toward north-eastern Queensland (north-eastern Australia) as a tropical depression, gradually strength

...(more)

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Exposed population

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For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (40), WMO (1), INFORM (2), (1),

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