Tropical Cyclone Lam to hit northern Australia

Residents in northern Australia on Wednesday were bracing themselves for Tropical Cyclone Lam, which is expected to cross the mainland in the coming days.

Strong winds, up to 110km/h, are already buffeting remote Northern Territory islands as the storm heads towards the mainland.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said Cyclone Lam was more unpredictable than most cyclones but was expected to cross the coast as a category four storm late on Thursday.

"It looks like it may even make a category four before it crosses the coast. There is nothing stopping it continuing to develop over the next 36 hours," the spokesman said.

The town of Nhulunbuy, with a population of 1,500 people, is where the cyclone is likely to make landfall and residents are preparing for the cyclone's arrival. Endi