Australia Weather News

Residents on Christmas Island say a long wait for repairs has left them vulnerable as the impact of a severe monsoon ripples toward the remote territory. 

Swells of about three metres have battered the island, 1,600 kilometres north west of Perth, since late last week, with the surge expected to peak about 4.5 metres on Thursday.

The rough conditions are linked to a strong low-pressure trough driving heavy rain in parts of Australia's north, coinciding with twin severe tropical cyclones forming to the island's south.

The Bureau of Meteorology is confident both tropical cyclones will remain well off-shore but warns TC Taliah could lash the island with 70kph winds.

Australian Federal Police said at least one building had its roof torn off on Monday, while the collapse of a 20m section of seawall has put residences and vital infrastructure under threat.

Territory Controller David Blockley said families living at ground level near the damaged seawall were encouraged to seek alternate accommodation.

"We don't consider people's lives [to be] at risk," Detective Sergeant Blockley said. 

"But … if they have the opportunity to go and stay with family members or move to an alternative location, we would advise them to do that.

"[They should] certainly have some bags packed in the event of the worst case scenario."

He said authorities were focusing their efforts on plugging sinkholes along the island's foreshore, as well as protecting underground power and internet cables from inundation.

Local frustrations

Ashleigh Thompkins lives in the building of greatest concern to authorities, a block of 24 residential units near the water's edge.

She said the damaged seawall had been waiting on repairs since the previous cyclone season.

"Nothing was done in the 12 months since the last storm," she said.

"That's really frustrating because it's a real feeling of helplessness."

Home to almost 1,700 people, Christmas Island is administered as an external territory by the Commonwealth government.

"Who we vote for doesn't mean anything," Ms Thompkins said.

"We still pay income tax, we're still Australians … [but] we're at the mercy of people making decisions or not making decisions to protect us." 

The ABC has contacted the Indian Ocean Territories administrator Farzian Zainal and the member of parliament for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour, whose electorate includes Christmas Island.

Supply chain struggles

The high swells also prevented a goods shipment from reaching Christmas Island, which teacher Isabelle Roberts said had worsened supply shortages. 

"We're kind of running out of things," she said.

After the ship failed to unload, Ms Roberts was forced to turn to air freight, putting her about $1,000 out of pocket to get through the next fortnight.

"We need fresh food for the kids and for lunch boxes and dinners," she said.

"If the ship doesn't come in the next couple of weeks move ... [supplies do] get really short and people start to get a little bit crazy."

'Quite a unique event'

Multiple residents told the ABC the prolonged intensity of stormy conditions was unusual.

"It's been continuous, so obviously the damage is being exacerbated as it's happening high tide after high tide," Detective Sergeant Blockley said.

BoM senior forecaster Joey Rawson described the surge as "quite a unique event".

"Usually, you get swell from the south-west, which hits the southern parts of the island and don't have as many impacts, because they're used to getting those southerly swells," he said.

"But for this, we're getting swell from the north-west, which can get into places like the Flying Fish Cove and the places where we've seen damage over the last couple days."