Australia braces for five cyclones

Experts have said it is “very unusual” to see cyclone activity in so many areas, and have warned it could be very problematic for one part of the country.

Australia is bracing for the possibility of five cyclones to hit over the weekend.

A monsoon surge forecast to move through Indonesia and into northern Australia’s waters means there are five tropical lows forming off the coast of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Senior Meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology Angus Hines said while is was unlikely all five would develop into a cyclone, there was “a chance”, and to see this much activity was “unusual”.

There are two lows forming over Queensland, one in The Gulf of Carpentaria above the Northern Territory, and two west of WA’s coastline.

“It is certainly unusual to see development in all these areas … five at the same time is unusual,” Mr Hines said.

There are two lows forming over Queensland, one in The Gulf of Carpentaria above the Northern Territory, and two west of WA’s coastline. Picture: Weatherzone

He said the most likely to form were the ones above Queensland, and usually if a low does form into a cyclone it “knocks the wind” out of other lows, meaning they are less likely to develop.

“It is hard to say which would be the most likely, but if they form off the Queensland coast there is the potential for heavy rainfall, damaging winds and coastal inundation (of water),” Mr Hines said.

“The two developing off the north coast of WA … they aren’t very close to the coast, and they are moving west, which could take them further away from Australia.”

Even if the lows don’t form, there will still be wet conditions for parts of the Northen Territory and Western Australia over the weekend and into next week.

A woman walks through the rain in Townsville. Picture: Blair Jackson

There are current weather warnings out for parts of Northeast Queensland from Monday, until at least Wednesday, with heavy rain predicted, which could be “problematic” if a cyclone does develop later in the week, Mr Hines said.

“There is a warning for Northeast Queensland … heavy rain is expected through to Wednesday. We are looking at 200-300mm of rain over that day-and-a-half, meaning the ground will be very saturated,” he said.

“That means if we see more rain from a cyclone later in the week the water won’t soak in, and there will be a quick response from rivers and dams, with the high chance of flash flooding.”

Despite the late arrival of the monsoon across northern Australia the Bureau said the 2024–25 Australian tropical cyclone season was expected to be in line with the long-term average, in which 11 tropical cyclones form in the Australian region, four of which cross the Australian coast.

Originally published as Australia braces for five cyclones