Northern Australia is on high alert as a cyclone warning has been issued for its coastal communities. The warning stretches from Groote Eylandt to the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland. Named Tropical Cyclone Megan, this storm emerged in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Saturday. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has classified it as a category 3 cyclone. Megan is expected to hit land on Monday, but it has already unleashed gale-force winds and heavy rain in some areas over the weekend. Remarkably, Groote Eylandt found itself isolated after receiving more than 400mm of rainfall within just 24 hours on Sunday.
Megan might grow even stronger, potentially reaching category 4 status before it reaches the shore. This could bring wind gusts as powerful as 125km/h. So far, Megan is the fifth cyclone named in Australian waters this season, which is fewer than the usual average of about 10 by this time of year.
In other news, Finland experienced a sharp drop in temperature over the weekend after a relatively mild start to March. A snowstorm hit, depositing 10-15cm of snow and bringing freezing temperatures to various parts of the country on Sunday. The chill is expected to linger, with Tampere forecasting lows of -16C, about 10C below the seasonal norm. However, temperatures are predicted to climb back to average or slightly above by week’s end.
Meanwhile, South Sudan has taken drastic measures in response to an extreme heatwave by closing all schools indefinitely starting Monday. The heatwave is set to continue for at least two more weeks, with temperatures likely ranging between 41-45C, and even reaching up to 50C in the hottest areas. Nighttime temperatures will also stay unusually high, barely dropping below 27-28C. In the capital, Juba, daily temperatures this week are expected to hover around 40-42C.