‘Prepare now': Tropical cyclone warning
Australians have been urged to 'prepare now', as a tropical cyclone is expected to develop off the West Australian coast over the weekend.
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 through Friday and into Saturday. It's set to develop into a category 1 system before intensifying as it moves southwest on Sunday and passes north of the Kimberley.
He anticipated gales would develop over the next 24-48 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.
'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.
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.
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.
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