‘Eerily silent’: Cape York residents batten down the hatches ahead of Tropical Cyclone Narelle’s arrival

Residents of Coen and surrounding towns in far north Queensland spent Thursday preparing for Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which is forecast to potentially reach category 5 strength, by sandbagging, stockpiling food, and bracing for power outages. The Cape York Peninsula communities face an unusually dangerous storm system, with forecasters warning of extreme wind and rainfall in one of Australia's most remote regions. Despite deceptively pleasant weather conditions Thursday morning, locals described an eerie calm before the cyclone's arrival, with preparations underway across multiple towns in the area. The storm's potential intensity has prompted residents to take precautions typical of the most severe cyclones that affect far north Queensland.