If you’re living on Australia’s east coast, particularly in Queensland, you should be prepared for some intense weather conditions in the coming days.
A tropical cyclone, named Cyclone Alfred, is expected to become a severe category three system by Tuesday, bringing strong winds and massive waves to the region.
What’s Happening with Cyclone Alfred?
Currently, Cyclone Alfred is located about 900km off Cairns in far north Queensland, and it’s expected to stay around 700km offshore in the coming days.
Although it won’t be making landfall, the Coral Sea will bear the brunt of the strongest winds and most of the system’s rainfall.
However, the coastal areas of Queensland will still experience strong gusty conditions, with some locations already seeing gusts of up to 70km/hr.
Prepare for Larger Waves and Potential Damage
According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines, “We also expect a noticeable increase in the size of the waves across the east coast, particularly on Thursday and Friday.
Some of these waves could be powerful and potentially damaging.” This is a concern for coastal communities, especially those still recovering from the recent floods.
Several Scenarios Possible: What You Need to Know
There are several possible outcomes for Cyclone Alfred’s trajectory after Thursday. The cyclone could:
Veer closer to regions already recovering from devastating floods, potentially bringing more severe weather to areas like Herbert and Lower Burdekin, Wide Bay, or even further south.
Continue southeast and bring severe weather down to the Tasman Sea, sparing Queensland’s coast.
Track south for days and “duck a little bit closer” to Queensland’s coast on the weekend.
The bureau believes the cyclone will most likely track south, but notes that “of course, this could change.” The weekend and early next week are looking to be the key time for developments.
Western Australia: Another Cyclone Emerges
Meanwhile, in Western Australia, another system has emerged barely two weeks after Cyclone Zelia brought widespread flooding to the northwest coast.
Cyclone Bianca is now off the coast, located in the Indian Ocean, and is expected to strengthen on Tuesday before weakening by Wednesday.
Fortunately, no direct impacts are expected at any Australian mainland or island communities.
Stay safe, and stay tuned for further updates on Cyclone Alfred and Cyclone Bianca!