Updated 5:50pm NZDT (2:20pm ACST, 12:50pm AWST) — Cyclone Trevor has made landfall as a severe Category 4 storm but has weakened a little to a Category 3 – this is still classed as ‘severe’.

It made landfall between Port McArthur and the NT/QLD border around 11am in NT.

Landfall is specifically when the centre of the ‘eye’ of the cyclone crosses land.

Trevor has already moved well in land but as WeatherWatch.co.nz has been forecasting it is very likely to retain cyclone strength for some time in land, possibly for over a few hundred kilometres. One positive is that this is a fairly remote part of Australia. WeatherWatch.co.nz estimates between 1000 and 2000 people are in the direct path, but Trevor’s remnants will deliver rain back into Queensland in the days to come and this may well spread as far east as Brisbane.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says inland rainfall totals inland may reach over one year’s average in just a 48 to 72 hour period.

5:30pm NZDT / 2pm ACST – #CycloneTrevor as seen via Himawari satellite: pic.twitter.com/UQr3ADAv21

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) March 23, 2019

5:30pm NZDT, 2pm (ACST) – #CycloneTrevor is pushing inland now. It’s a very powerful storm and will retain cyclone status for potentially a few hundred kilometres inland based on latest data. For official updates please refer to our friends over at @BOM_NT pic.twitter.com/t3FBGHayPS

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) March 23, 2019

---

See our Special Video here about Cyclone’s Trevor and Veronica this weekend in Australia

---

WeatherWatch.co.nz says Cyclone Trevor is going to be a very big rainmaker for a large portion of Northern Territories and Queensland. “Incredibly, Cyclone Trevor is likely to retain its cyclone status for quite some time as it moves inland, possibly for another few hundred kilometres inland as it slowly unravels” says head forecaster Philip Duncan.

The storm may get close to Elliott, a town of a few hundred people nearly 400kms inland from the coast where Trevor will be making landfall. Latest updates show Trevor more to the east of this town. Elliott is halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs.

Rainfall totals in the coming days will be huge for these dry inland areas with the remnants of Trevor being activated as it moves eastwards back towards Queensland again. This means another week or so of heavy rain through Australia’s interior and may eventually move as far east as Brisbane as a rainmaker only, then out in to the Tasman Sea where it may join a cold front moving towards New Zealand.

***Keep up to date with Official BOM forecasts which you can find here***

---

CYCLONE VERONICA:

Meanwhile Cyclone Veronica remains a serious severe Category 4 Tropical Cyclone and will continue to hold its power right up until landfall, which should be at some point on Sunday. Destructive winds, waves of over 15 metres, storm surge and torrential rain will be affecting an area with a population of over 30,000 people for a day.

Most in the firing line for the cyclone in WA are the towns of Karratha and Port Headland. 

5:40pm NZDT, 12:40pm (AWST) – #CycloneVeronica. Ongoing #news coverage and maps here: https://t.co/QUtcmZbAwp pic.twitter.com/K3ydtS4AiA

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) March 23, 2019

5:40pm NZDT, 12:40pm (AWST) – #CycloneVeronica remains Category 4. It has an impressive ‘eye’ which https://t.co/gb7E1qcpZ3 estimates is around 100km in diameter. For official updates refer to our friends over at @BOM_WA #Veronica #Australia #weather pic.twitter.com/1UOwU0UEiH

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) March 23, 2019

It’s just past 8am (AWST) in Western Australia. #CycloneVeronica remains a Category 4 Cyclone. #Veronica is likely to make landfall on Sunday local time but gales develop today. For official updates please follow @BOM_WA. #News, maps & video here: https://t.co/QUtcmZbAwp #WA pic.twitter.com/yizRPlRPVf

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) March 23, 2019

Unlike Cyclone Trevor, Veronica is expected to fall apart on the coastline and not penetrate far inland. The remnants of Veronica will last all week in WA with heavy tropical showers both inland and in coastal areas. They may drift as far south as Perth but nothing too substantial is expected there at this stage.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz