Australians living in northern parts of the country are being urged to commence preparations for what is expected to be a more active tropical cyclone season. With December nearly upon us, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents to expect an average to above-average tropical cyclone season, particularly in light of last year’s low number of tropical cyclones, so access to back-up power is top of mind for those in rural and remote areas of the Northern Territory and Queensland.
According to the bureau, history indicates that an average season sees about 11 cyclones in the tropical cyclone season from November 1 to April 30, with about four of these expected to make landfall. While last year had the lowest number of tropical cyclones on record, itis expected this Australian cyclone season will not be as quiet.
Lighting, high winds and heavy rainfall can cause damage to power grids, leaving residents without the means to power everyday items like fridges, lights and stoves. If outages stretch out to long periods of time, it can leave people severely disadvantaged, so it’s important to consider back-up power options and be prepared for any storm scenario.
Briggs & Stratton, one of the world’s leading producers of portable generators, provides some advice for preparing for the upcoming cyclone season.