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Twin cyclones threaten northern Australia

Ben Domensino, Wednesday March 20, 2019 - 09:23 AEDT

Two tropical cyclones are spinning near Australia and both threaten to bring severe weather to the nation's tropics during the second half of this week.

Tropical Cyclone Trevor made landfall as a category three system on the eastern coast of Cape York Peninsula, near Lockhart River, on Tuesday evening.

Lockhart River Airport received 302mm of rain during the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, their heaviest daily total in eight years. The site also registered wind gusts up to 133km/h as Trevor crossed the coast.

Cyclone Trevor traversed Cape York Peninsula on Tuesday night and had weakened to a category one tropical cyclone by 7am on Wednesday.

The system is likely to move off the Peninsula's west coast later on Wednesday and will re-intensify as it moves over warm water in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Trevor could become a category four severe tropical cyclone by the weekend as it nears the Gulf's southwestern coast, where it is expected to make a second landfall.

Further west, Tropical Cyclone Veronica is gaining strength to the north of Western Australia. The system became a tropical cyclone at 2am WST on Wednesday when it was located 435km to the northwest of Broome.

Veronica is expected to move towards the west southwest on Wednesday and Thursday, roughly parallel to the WA coast, while strengthening. Most computer models suggest the system will then turn south on Friday before approaching the Pilbara coast over the weekend.

Northern areas of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland could be affected by these tropical cyclones during the remainder of this week. Be sure to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings if you live in Australia's northern tropics.

- Weatherzone

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