‘Prepare now’: Warning as tropical cyclone set to develop off WA coast

Australians have been warned to “prepare now” as the threat of a tropical cyclone looms off the coast.

Australians have been warned to “prepare now” as the threat of a tropical cyclone looms off the country’s northern coast.

The latest advice from the Bureau of Meteorology says that as of 11am AWST on Saturday, the tropical low was estimated to be 340km north-northeast of Kalumburu and 400km west-northwest of Darwin.

Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe told NewsWire that the system could be named a tropical cyclone within hours.

“It’s still a tropical low right now, but it’s likely to become a cyclone later today,” he said.

Mr Sharpe said people in Broome in northern WA should be keeping the closest eye on the system as it developed.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said cyclone watches were put in place from the Berkeley River mouth to Cockatoo Island and “everywhere in between”, including much of the northern Kimberley coastline.

Mr Narramore said a tropical low northwest of Darwin was likely to intensify into Saturday, and was expected to develop into a category 1 system before intensifying further as it moves southwest on Sunday and passes north of the Kimberley.

He anticipated gales would develop over the next 24 to 48 hours across coastal areas and islands.

“Of course, if it does move closer to the coastline, we’ll have bigger impacts along the coast, where if it is further away it will have less impact,” Mr Narramore said.

A tropical cyclone is expected to develop off the West Australian coast over the weekend. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology

“So if you know anyone that lives on the coast or you do yourself, make sure you stay up to date with the latest forecast and warnings there.”

The tropical cyclone could intensify into a category 2 system through Sunday and Monday, with a chance it could develop into a category 3 system moving into Tuesday and Wednesday.

A cyclone advice warning was issued by Emergency WA on Friday morning, urging residents in areas across Cockatoo Island to Berkeley River – including the Kimberley coastal islands – to “prepare now”.

“Although there is no immediate danger you need to start preparing for dangerous weather and keep up to date,” the alert stated.

Residents were advised to prepare their homes “inside and out”, including by securing boats, caravans, trailers, garden sheds, outdoor furniture, rainwater tanks, LPG bottles, loose material and rubbish.

“Ensure your emergency kit is complete and check your family knows what to do. Your emergency kit should include canned food and water to last five to seven days, a first aid kit, medication, cash and a battery-operated radio and spare batteries to listen to warnings,” the alert stated.

The cyclone is predicted to develop into a category 2 system through Sunday and Monday and potentially a category 3 system next week. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology

Australians have been urged to ‘prepare now’ ahead of the tropical cyclone. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology.

Mr Sharpe also warned of a second system off the coast to the north of Australia, which was likely to make landfall over the Easter long weekend.

“Another tropical low that’ll be near northeastern parts of the empty later in the week, and that could become a tropical cyclone as well in the coming days,” he said.

“And so those two systems are both likely to head south and across land at some point around the long weekend.”

People are also urged to monitor the Emergency WA website and know the cyclone warning levels and relevant steps that must be taken at each level.

Mr Narramore said the cyclone watch areas could be extended further south over the weekend as well as further into next week.

Showers and storms could be experienced across the top end of the Kimberley as a result as well as isolated heavy showers or thunderstorms along the northern Kimberley coast.

“As we get through Saturday that’s when it’s going to be closest to the Kimberley coast and that’s where we could see those bursts of heavier rainfall and gusty winds, but that’s highly dependent on the exact track and intensity of this tropical low,” Mr Narramore said.

“We could see widespread falls of 50mm up to 100mm with any thunderstorms and for our coastal locations around the top end and the Kimberley coast.”

As of Friday morning, the tropical low 29U is slow moving with sustained winds of 55km/h and wind gusts of 85km/h.

Workers clear fallen trees in Sandgate in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Gales with damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall could develop between Kuri Bay and Berkeley River mouth on Saturday night, according to a Bureau of Meteorology alert.

The gales could also develop between Cockatoo Island and Kuri Bay on Sunday morning, while the rain could extend and persist between Cockatoo Island and Berkeley River mouth on Sunday.

The forecast comes just more than a month after communities in Queensland and northern NSW were hit with significant damage by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low as it approached the mainland on March 8; however, the system still managed to cause significant damage, with fierce winds ripping up homes and trees and heavy rainfall causing dangerous flash flooding across South East Queensland and northern NSW.