Top End residents will launch into clean-up mode after enduring a rough and noisy night of damaging winds and heavy rain as tropical cyclone Fina swept by.

With top gusts of 195km/h and sustained winds near the centre of the system of 140km/h, Fina tore down trees, damaged houses and cut power in many places.

Households in Darwin, where gusts reached 107km/h, and surrounds were told by emergency authorities on Friday to stay in their homes or emergency shelters until given the all-clear.

Category-three Fina brought destructive winds and heavy downpours to remote Tiwi Islands communities, then Darwin and surrounds on Saturday and into Sunday.

It was a noisy and in many cases sleepless night for Darwin residents as high winds rattled, banged and shook everything in their path.

Northern

See Full Page