Residents of Australia’s Top End are breathing a collective sigh of relief after Cyclone Fina, the most powerful storm to approach Darwin since the infamous Cyclone Tracy in 1974, swept through the region overnight with less destruction than many had feared. As the sun rose on November 23, 2025, locals emerged from their homes and emergency shelters to find widespread tree damage and power outages, but—remarkably—no reports of serious injuries and property damage far lighter than initial predictions.
According to AAP News, the cyclone lashed Darwin and surrounding communities with top wind gusts of 195 kilometers per hour and sustained winds near the center of 140 kilometers per hour. In Darwin itself, gusts reached 107 kilometers per hour, while the city was drenched with 157 millimeters of rain since 9am on Saturday. Middle Point, a rural area southwest of the city, recorded a staggering 393 millimeters of rainfall, underscoring the storm’s ferocity.
Despite these punishing conditions, the city’s infrastructure and its people proved resilient. Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole both praised residents for their discipline and cooperation in the face of danger. "I just want to thank Territorians for how well they have co-operated and heeded all of the advice from our officials," Ms Finocchiaro told reporters, her gratitude echoed by Commissioner Dole, who emphasized that the community’s responsiveness had resulted in no reports of serious injuries and little significant damage across the Darwin region.
Still, the city’s famous trees didn’t fare as well. Dozens were felled across Darwin and the surrounding regions, their roots torn from the saturated ground by the relentless wind and rain. The clean-up effort began almost immediately, with residents and work crews fanning out to clear debris and restore a sense of normalcy to battered neighborhoods. Alastair Shields, a local resident, described the experience to AAP as harrowing: "It was a bit of a rough night, windy and noisy. You couldn't see what was happening but you could hear trees cracking and falling. That was pretty hair raising. It was a wild night, the clean-up begins."
Power outages were widespread, with around 19,000 homes and businesses left in the dark as lines came down and substations struggled under the strain. Utility crews worked tirelessly through the day to restore electricity, prioritizing critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities.
Emergency shelters had been opened across Darwin, Palmerston, and nearby rural areas, offering refuge to those whose homes might not withstand the storm’s onslaught. Residents were urged to bring their own bedding and food, a precaution that, for many, brought back memories of past cyclones and the community’s hard-won expertise in disaster preparedness. The city’s resilience was further tested when part of a ceiling at Royal Darwin Hospital collapsed on Saturday. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, according to Emma Carter of NT Police, speaking to ABC Radio Darwin.
As the storm battered the region, authorities kept a watchful eye on its progress and potential for further damage. Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore, from the Bureau of Meteorology, warned that heavy rains could still isolate homesteads and communities in inland areas, flooding roads and threatening to inundate businesses if the deluge persisted throughout Sunday. The risk of isolation and secondary flooding loomed large, even as the cyclone’s center began to move offshore.
By Sunday, Cyclone Fina had tracked away from Darwin and was intensifying into a category four system over the ocean, heading west and expected to weaken off the Kimberley coast in the coming week. While Darwin and its surrounds were spared the worst, the storm’s trajectory remained a concern for communities further along its path.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the situation, reassuring the public that the Commonwealth was providing "every bit of support requested" by the Northern Territory. He expressed his concern and solidarity with those affected, underscoring the federal government’s commitment to disaster response and recovery.
The sense of relief in Darwin was palpable, but so too was the recognition that things could have turned out much worse. Cyclone Fina’s arrival was a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to tropical storms, and many locals drew comparisons to Cyclone Tracy, which devastated the city in 1974, claiming 66 lives and leaving much of the city in ruins. This time, the combination of improved forecasting, robust infrastructure, and a well-drilled emergency response made all the difference.
School principals across the region were tasked with assessing their campuses for damage to determine whether classes could resume as scheduled on Monday. The hope was that, with the exception of fallen trees and some minor flooding, most schools would be able to welcome students back without delay.
Elsewhere in the region, meteorologists and emergency planners were keeping a close eye on developing weather systems. According to ABS-CBN, on November 23, a low-pressure area east of Mindanao entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and may develop into a tropical cyclone named Verbena. While the focus in Australia was firmly on recovery, the Philippines was bracing for the possibility of another storm, highlighting the interconnected nature of weather events across the Asia-Pacific.
The cyclone’s legacy in Darwin will be felt most keenly in its leafy suburbs, where the loss of so many mature trees will reshape the landscape for years to come. Yet, for all the inconvenience and disruption, there was a widespread sense of gratitude that the city had been spared the devastation that so often accompanies storms of this magnitude. The community’s collective response—staying indoors, following instructions, and supporting one another—proved critical in minimizing harm.
As the clean-up continues and life gradually returns to normal, Darwin’s experience with Cyclone Fina serves as a testament to the power of preparation and the enduring spirit of its people. With memories of Tracy never far from mind, residents know all too well that nature’s fury can strike with little warning. But as this latest storm fades into memory, there’s comfort in knowing that, at least this time, the city stood strong together.
