Storm & Cyclone Season: How To Stay Safe In Your Caravan

A caravan is not a safe shelter in severe weather. This is the uncomfortable truth that every Big Lapper needs to understand. High winds can flip a caravan, hail can destroy awnings and windows, flooding can strand you, and a cyclone can turn your home on wheels into debris. Australia’s weather is dramatic and fast-moving, and knowing how to prepare for and respond to severe weather is essential for safe travel.

Severe Storms

Thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain can develop quickly, especially in spring and summer across eastern Australia. The BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) app sends severe weather warnings to your phone. Take them seriously.

Before a storm: Retract the awning (the number one storm casualty; wind catches awnings and tears them from the van or flips the entire rig). Secure or bring inside anything loose: chairs, tables, mats, bikes. Close all windows and hatches. Angle the van so the smallest profile faces the expected wind direction. If you’re at a free camp and the warning is severe, consider moving to a caravan park where solid amenities buildings provide better shelter.

During a storm: Stay inside the caravan unless winds exceed 100km/h, at which point move to the tow vehicle (lower profile, heavier, more stable) or a solid building if available. Keep away from windows. If you hear a freight-train roar (potential tornado or microburst), get as low as possible and protect your head.

Cyclone Season

Cyclone season in northern Australia runs from November to April, with the highest risk December to March. If you’re in the tropics during this period (which most Big Lappers avoid by heading north in the dry season), you need a cyclone plan.

Cyclone Watch (48 hours out): Start preparing. Monitor BOM for the storm’s projected path. If you’re in the potential impact zone, make a decision: evacuate south to clear the area, or shelter in place at a caravan park with cyclone-rated amenities. Most Big Lappers should evacuate. A caravan cannot withstand cyclone-force winds.

Cyclone Warning (24 hours out): If you haven’t left, it’s almost too late to evacuate safely. Move to the strongest available building (park amenities, community cyclone shelter, or a solid commercial building). Do not stay in the caravan. Secure the van as best you can: lower the stabiliser legs, retract everything, close and lock all windows and doors. Accept that the van may sustain damage.

Flooding

Flooding is a year-round risk in parts of Australia, but worst during the wet season in the north and after heavy rain events anywhere. Flash flooding can close roads without warning and strand travellers for days or weeks.

Never drive through floodwater. If it’s flowing across the road and you can’t see the surface, stop. Turn around. It’s not worth the risk. Floodwater hides washed-out road surfaces, debris, and depth that can sweep a vehicle off the road. This kills people every year in Australia.

If you’re camped near water: monitor river levels and weather upstream. A dry creek bed can become a raging torrent within hours of heavy rain falling in the catchment, even if it’s not raining at your location. Camp on high ground, and if water starts rising, move immediately.

Extreme Heat

Temperatures above 40°C are common across much of inland and northern Australia in summer. In a caravan without air conditioning (or when free camping without power to run it), extreme heat is a genuine health risk. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke can all occur.

In extreme heat: Stay hydrated (drink water before you feel thirsty, 3-4 litres per person per day minimum). Rest during the hottest hours (12pm-4pm). Use shade, wet towels, and fans. Keep the van ventilated. Check on pets, children, and elderly travellers frequently. If anyone shows signs of heat stroke (confusion, hot dry skin, rapid pulse), cool them immediately and call for medical help.