Blanche weakens to depression in Top End

Warnings have been lifted as tropical cyclone Blanche weakened to a tropical depression after crossing the northern WA coast.

The all-clear has been given for remote northern parts of the West Australian coast after tropical cyclone Blanche rapidly weakened into a tropical depression.

WA's Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) also cancelled severe weather warnings for other northern parts of the Kimberley late on Monday as the system moved inland.

Blanche made landfall on Monday between Wyndham and Kalumburu as a category two cyclone with wind gusts of up to 150km/h, prompting a cyclone yellow alert for those and adjacent districts.

DFES said in a statement late on Monday that heavy rainfall may still occur into Tuesday morning but flash flooding was unlikely and widespread damaging winds were no longer expected.

Earlier Darwin, which was under warning, was spared the worst of Blanche, with shelters set up in the city since closed.

The Top End still copped big downpours and strong winds on Sunday, including damaging gusts up to 95km/h along the NT's Bathurst Island coasts, where a record 383mm of rain fell.

Cyclone Blanche formed as a category one system on Sunday morning south of the Tiwi Islands and headed southwest.

The Gibb River Road remains closed to all vehicles from Blina Turnoff (west end) to Great Northern Highway (east end) due to flooding.


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Source: AAP


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