Esther to unleash heavy rainfall, gusty winds as it tracks across northern Australia this week
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Feb 23, 2020 8:26 PM EDT
Despite weakening after making landfall on the Carpentaria coast on Monday, Esther will continue to produce heavy rainfall and high winds as it sweeps through northern Australia as a tropical rainstorm this week.
A tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria that AccuWeather meteorologists had been monitoring since last week developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on Sunday night, local time, and was given the name Esther by the Bureau of Meteorology. This is equivalent to a tropical storm in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Esther made landfall on Monday near the border between Queensland and Northern Territory.
The former tropical cyclone will spread heavy rainfall through northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia through the end of the week as it slowly drifts westward.
A satellite view of Esther over northern Australia on Thursday afternoon, local time. (CIRA/RAMMB)
CIRA/RAMMB
Widespread rainfall amounts of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) are possible in this area, with a smaller area of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches). Over a four- or five-day period, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 300 mm (12 inches) is possible.
McArthurs River in the northwest Northern Territory reported 178 mm (7 inches) of rainfall in just 24 hours on Monday and Monday night.
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Depending on how fast Esther tracks across Australia's Top End will help to determine how high rainfall totals climb.
The heaviest rain will follow the core of the storm, which may impact places like the Pellew Islands and Limmen National Park, as well as cities like Borroloola and Daly Waters.
Winds will remain gusty as Esther moves along, with localized damage possible.
The combination of wind and heavy rainfall may topple trees and quickly raise water levels of creeks and streams. Travel could turn difficult from Carpentaria to the Darwin area.
As Esther continues to track westward into the end of the week, AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring where the storm will track next.
There is still a potential that Esther will emerge back over the open water in the Kimberley region.
"Once back over open water, there is a good chance the system can regain tropical cyclone intensity this weekend or early next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
Another possible track would keep Esther on land where it would follow the Kimberley coast into the weekend. This track would make it more difficult for the storm to regain tropical characteristics.
Regardless of track the storm is expected to still bring periods of heavy rain and gusty winds to northern portions of Western Australia into the weekend.
Meanwhile, a tropical low that developed over the waters between Indonesia and Australia strengthened into a Category 1 tropical cyclone Monday morning, local time, and was given the name Ferdinand.
On Monday, Ferdinand strengthened to Category 3 severe tropical cyclone status or the equivalent in strength to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins. Ferdinand has since weakened to a Category 1 tropical cyclone.
The good news is that Ferdinand is not expected to impact land for at least the near future, being only a concern for shipping interests over the open waters of the Indian Ocean.
The Australia cyclone season officially runs from November to April. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, over a 15-year average up to the 2003/2004 season, the average number of total cyclones in the season is 55, with about nine of those occurring in February.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Hurricane
Esther to unleash heavy rainfall, gusty winds as it tracks across northern Australia this week
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Feb 23, 2020 8:26 PM EDT
Despite weakening after making landfall on the Carpentaria coast on Monday, Esther will continue to produce heavy rainfall and high winds as it sweeps through northern Australia as a tropical rainstorm this week.
A tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria that AccuWeather meteorologists had been monitoring since last week developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on Sunday night, local time, and was given the name Esther by the Bureau of Meteorology. This is equivalent to a tropical storm in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Esther made landfall on Monday near the border between Queensland and Northern Territory.
The former tropical cyclone will spread heavy rainfall through northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia through the end of the week as it slowly drifts westward.
A satellite view of Esther over northern Australia on Thursday afternoon, local time. (CIRA/RAMMB)
Widespread rainfall amounts of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) are possible in this area, with a smaller area of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches). Over a four- or five-day period, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 300 mm (12 inches) is possible.
McArthurs River in the northwest Northern Territory reported 178 mm (7 inches) of rainfall in just 24 hours on Monday and Monday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Depending on how fast Esther tracks across Australia's Top End will help to determine how high rainfall totals climb.
The heaviest rain will follow the core of the storm, which may impact places like the Pellew Islands and Limmen National Park, as well as cities like Borroloola and Daly Waters.
Related:
Winds will remain gusty as Esther moves along, with localized damage possible.
The combination of wind and heavy rainfall may topple trees and quickly raise water levels of creeks and streams. Travel could turn difficult from Carpentaria to the Darwin area.
As Esther continues to track westward into the end of the week, AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring where the storm will track next.
There is still a potential that Esther will emerge back over the open water in the Kimberley region.
"Once back over open water, there is a good chance the system can regain tropical cyclone intensity this weekend or early next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
Another possible track would keep Esther on land where it would follow the Kimberley coast into the weekend. This track would make it more difficult for the storm to regain tropical characteristics.
Regardless of track the storm is expected to still bring periods of heavy rain and gusty winds to northern portions of Western Australia into the weekend.
Meanwhile, a tropical low that developed over the waters between Indonesia and Australia strengthened into a Category 1 tropical cyclone Monday morning, local time, and was given the name Ferdinand.
On Monday, Ferdinand strengthened to Category 3 severe tropical cyclone status or the equivalent in strength to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins. Ferdinand has since weakened to a Category 1 tropical cyclone.
The good news is that Ferdinand is not expected to impact land for at least the near future, being only a concern for shipping interests over the open waters of the Indian Ocean.
The Australia cyclone season officially runs from November to April. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, over a 15-year average up to the 2003/2004 season, the average number of total cyclones in the season is 55, with about nine of those occurring in February.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo