Darwin is on alert for a battering, with a tropical cyclone expected to brew off the coast of the Northern Territory.
Emergency authorities are warning remote communities on the Tiwi Islands to finalise preparations for a cyclone predicted to hit the area on Tuesday morning.
It's tipped to strengthen into category two intensity and will be named Tropical Cyclone Frances.
A cyclone warning was issued from Croker Island to Cape Fourcroy, with a watch zone from Point Stuart to the Daly River mouth, including Darwin.
Dangerous flooding, damaging waves and gales with gusts of up to 110 km/h are expected in the Tiwi Islands on Tuesday morning.
"At this stage Darwin is not expected to experience the strongest winds from the system," said Ben Suter, from the Bureau of Meteorology NT.
However, gales may extend to the mainland on Wednesday if the system continues to track in a south westerly direction.
The NT Emergency Service has advised residents to ready their emergency kits and finalise home shelter preparations.
"Clear your premises of potential wind-borne missiles," the NTES said.
The deluge could push the Top End's belter wet season up to the third or second wettest in history.
"Isolated daily rainfall totals of up to 150mm are possible near the Tiwi Islands, with two-day totals likely to be in the range of 300mm to 350mm," Mr Suter said.
Darwin and other coastal locations along the northwest Top End are likely to be hit with two-day totals of up to 150mm over Tuesday and Wednesday.
Localised heavy rain could lead to flash flooding in some coastal areas.
It comes after Cyclone Debbie flooded towns across Queensland and NSW, killing a number of people in both states and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
Eight NT frontline workers flew to Bowen on Monday to assist with the recovery effort.
"The Northern Territory knows only too well the effects of cyclones and floods and we will always help our neighbours, just as I know they would help us," Department of the Chief Minister chief executive Jodie Ryan said.
It's the first of a number of deployments and staff will be rotated every two weeks while they're needed.
