Australia's north braces for Tropical Cyclone Megan

SYDNEY - Residents in parts of Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland were urged on March 17 to prepare for a tropical cyclone that is forecast to make landfall in the coming days.

Megan, a Category 2 cyclone sitting in the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts up to 155kmh, was expected to cross the coast on March 18 or early March 19 as a "severe tropical cyclone", the nation's weather forecaster said.

Australia is experiencing an El Nino weather event, which is typically associated with extreme phenomena such as cyclones, wildfires, droughts and heatwaves, even though it is now easing.

Gales with damaging wind gusts of 110kmh were already sweeping remote Groote Eylandt, off Northern Territory's Arnhem Land, about 653km east of the territory's capital Darwin, the forecaster said.

It was likely Megan would intensify to Category 3 later in the day, the weather forecaster said, urging those in the warning zone to prepare their properties for strong winds.

Category 2 cyclones are three rungs away from the most dangerous and can cause significant damage to trees, caravans, and crops, and break boats from their moorings. Category 3 cyclones typically cause more severe damage to houses, shops and other buildings.

In January, Queensland was hit by Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, the second tropical cyclone in the area since December, when Cyclone Jasper caused widespread regional damage, including in coastal towns close to the Great Barrier Reef.

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