Tropical Cyclone Megan has left around 700 residents stranded in the small town of Borroloola in the Northern Territory.

An evacuation was planned ahead of the cyclones expected time of arrival but was cancelled as Australian Defence Force (ADF) planes were unable to land due to the dangerous weather.

Residents were instructed to take shelter at the Borroloola police station, health centers or in other institutions that are rated to withstand a cyclone and its weather conditions.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, gusty winds of 85 kilometers per hour has hit parts of the region. In the last 24 hours, the Borroloola weather’s station recorded just over 300 millimeters of rain, which was more than a months’ worth of rain during this time of year.

The Bureau of Meteorology has announced the category three storm has been downgraded to a category one cyclone and should be expected to reach a tropical low.