Tropical Cyclone watch current for parts of the Kimberley coast

Australian Community Media

Bureau of Meteorology issues warning for a tropical cyclone expected to form off the Western Australian northern coast.

Transcript

00:00Cyclone watches are now current for parts of the Kimberley coast as we expect a tropical

00:05cyclone to develop off the WA coast this weekend.

00:09And let's jump right into it.

00:10As we stand this morning, tropical cyclone watches are now current, from Berkeley River

00:15Mouth all the way down to Cockatoo Island and everywhere in between.

00:19This includes much of the northern Kimberley coastline.

00:23And that's all because the tropical low well to the north-west of Darwin likely to intensify

00:28as we move through today, tonight and into Saturday as a tropical low and then becoming

00:33a tropical cyclone as we get into Saturday afternoon, a Category 1 system.

00:39And that'll continue to intensify and move south-westwards on Sunday as it just passes

00:44to the north of the Kimberley.

00:46Now of course, if it does move closer to the coastline, we'll have bigger impacts along

00:51the coast, where if it moves further away, we'll have less impacts.

00:54So if you know anyone that lives on the coast or you do yourself, make sure you stay up to

00:58date with the latest forecasts and warnings there, and we'll continue to issue track maps

01:02every six hours.

01:03Then as we move through Sunday and into Monday, we're going to continue this track towards

01:07the south-west and intensify it into a Category 2 system, and then possibly into a Category

01:123 system as we move into Tuesday and Wednesday.

01:16So how much rainfall are we expecting with this?

01:19Well with this offshore movement, we're not going to see too much across the Kimberley.

01:23There's going to be some showers and storms across the top end, and just some isolated

01:26heavy shower or thunderstorm activity along the northern Kimberley coast.

01:30And then as we get through Saturday, that's when it's going to be closest to the Kimberley

01:34coast, and that's where we could see those bursts of heavier rainfall and gusty winds.

01:39But that's highly dependent on the exact track and intensity of this tropical low.

01:43As I mentioned, if it's further offshore, there'll be less impacts on the coast.

01:47If it's closer to the coast, we're going to see heavier rainfall and possibly those stronger

01:51or damaging winds.

01:53Then as we move through Sunday into Monday, we'll continue this south-westerly track parallel

01:58to the coast.

01:59And that means we're likely to see these watches probably get extended further south

02:02as well as we move through Saturday and Sunday, and they'll continue further as we move into

02:08the early and middle parts of next week.

02:11How much rainfall associated with this?

02:13Well again, the focus being around the top end, and it is dependent on exactly how close

02:17it does get to the coast.

02:19We could see widespread falls of 50 millimetres, up to 100 millimetres with any thunderstorms

02:23and for our coastal locations around the top end and the Kimberley coast.

02:28So to reiterate, tropical cyclone watches are now current from Berkeley River Mouth all the

02:33way down to Cockatoo Island in anticipation of gales developing within the next 24 to 48 hours

02:39along our coastal areas and islands.

02:42As tropical low continues to intensify and then become a tropical cyclone sometime on

02:47Saturday and then continue to intensifying as it moves towards the south-west.

02:52So if you know someone in the Kimberley, if you live there or know someone that does,

02:55make sure you stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings by our website and app,

02:59and we'll continue to issue track maps every six hours.

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