The entire population of a remote island in Cyclone Nathan's path has been evacuated as the storm makes its third landfall within two weeks.
The long-lived weather system, which has already made landfall on Cape York and northeast Arnhem Land since it formed in the Coral Sea on March 10, is expected to intensify once again from a category 2 to 3 overnight before making landfall near Goulburn Island, 300km east of Darwin.
A state of emergency has been declared over the island, and all 427 residents were flown to Darwin on Monday on 51 flights before gale force winds picked up.
It's the second time in one month that the island has been emptied, since Cyclone Lam hit the Northern Territory on February 20, because there is no confidence that any buildings on the island could withstand a category 3 storm.
Bureau of Meteorology Regional Director Todd Smith said Nathan was nearing a record-breaking life span.
"Its longevity and the number of communities it has affected - because it's really rolled along that north coast - is pretty remarkable," he told AAP.
The storm is expected to pass directly over Goulburn Island at about 4am, and then track inland to Jabiru in Kakadu.
"As it moves over land we're expecting it to weaken very quickly, but gale force winds could extend inland as the system decays," Mr Smith said.
Then rainfall rather than wind will become the biggest danger, with possible falls of up to 300mm over the next few days swelling top end rivers.
A cyclone warning covers Cape Don to Milingimbi, including Croker Island, Goulburn Island, Gunbalanya, Jabiru and Maningrida, and residents are warned to proceed immediately to shelters if their homes are not safe.
Goulburn Island residents arriving at Darwin Airport on Monday morning were exhausted after being awoken by the emergency evacuation siren at 4am.
"We're worried now because it's going to be a lot closer," said resident Delilah Ngarlingarli.
She said it would be better if there was a shelter built to standards on the island.
Mr Warton did not know how much the two evacuations would cost, but said "there's no price you can put on the human lives of 420 people".
Elcho Island bore the brunt of Cyclone Lam but a resident said this time it had escaped "pretty well unscathed".
Power was restored at 4pm and water supply should follow, said the man, who declined to be named.
"The community is pretty upbeat," he told AAP.
The worst of the storm passed through at about 9pm on Sunday.
"It was really deathly quiet at times, and then you'd get the big squall and you'd hear it just rattling, rattling through the building ... along the outside," he said of the school hall where he sheltered with 160 other people.
Some 212 people have been living in temporary tent accommodation after Cyclone Lam rendered more than 50 houses uninhabitable, and on Tuesday it will be assessed whether it can be re-established, said acting NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw.
"At this stage there have been no reports of significant damage" nor of any injuries, he said.
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