Cyclone threat for Aussie tourist town

Daftar Isi

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for a tropical cyclone for residents between Cockatoo Island and Bidyadanga, including the popular tourist town of Broome, as tropical low number 18U continues to develop off the Kimberley coast.

At the moment, Cyclone 18U is 425km north-northeast of Broome and 130km north-northeast of Kuri Bay, and it's tipped to intensify over the next 24-48 hours.

It's tracking south-westerly at the moment, and though it hasn't been officially named a tropical cyclone, as of 8am Sunday the outlook is looking fair (60 per cent) for it to strengthen into a tropical cyclone by Monday night.

As the tropical low system continues to develop off the coast, it's set to bring intense conditions like strong gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and massive ocean swells.

“Around this watch area we might spot gales kick in as soon as Monday mornin’,” BOM senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

"Heavy rainfall is expected to be more extreme in the region from Sunday evening, with big surf possible due to increasing winds blowing strongly.

The bureau is warning of winds stronger than 100km/h near the Kimberley coast, particularly affecting the areas between Cockatoo Island and Beagle Bay before heading towards Broome and Bidyadanga on Monday afternoon.

The bureau has also issued a flood watch for the West Kimberley coastal catchment regions from late Saturday through to Sunday.

Catchments across the flood watch area, especially close to the coast, have been soaked by recent rain, the bureau's website advises.

Rainfall totals are forecast to reach between 30-60 millimetres along the North Kimberley coastal catchments by Sunday, with some areas expected to get more than that in isolated patches.

The forecast rainfall in the area under flood watch is likely to bring river levels up, cause flooding, and may make some roads impassable, said Ms Bradbury.

“Roads can turn to no-go zones pretty quickly and some communities may be shut off from access once the rain hits.”

In the coming days, people in northern WA can expect wet and extremely hot conditions, as the tropical low system gains power.

The bureau is predicting 18U to intensify into a tropical cyclone over the period from Sunday night to Monday morning.

“Fair dinkum, the system's gonna shift south-west of the Kimberley coastline and just keep getting stronger,” Ms Bradbury said.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the tropical low is expected to shift south-west towards the Pilbara coast, and will intensify further as a tropical cyclone.

Despite a 60% chance of the system developing into a tropical cyclone, the bureau said there were "a number of different ways" the tropical low could develop over the coming hours.

“It'd be depending on just how speedily the tropical 18U becomes a cyclone and how much energy it can access to keep its cyclone intensity,” Ms Bradbury said.

The bureau warned of uncommonly high tides between Cape Leveque and Kuri Bay from Sunday evening, though the sea levels shouldn't rise above the year's highest tide.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) released a warning to people living in the area on Sunday morning, advising them to "get ready now" as extremely wild conditions are starting to take off across the Kimberley region.

"Prepare your home physically and internally for hazardous weather conditions," a statement from DFES read.

Secure loose items like boats, caravans, trailers, and sheds, as well as outdoor furniture and rubbish that could become projectiles in strong winds, alongside your rainwater tanks and LPG bottles.