New tropical threat brewing near Australia's Top End following Cyclone Blake
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist &
Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 3, 2020 10:55 AM EST
Firefighters raced to stop a wildfire from claiming a home in Burrowye, Victoria, on Dec. 30.
While the dangerous fires in Australia continue to make global headlines this week, the opposite side of the country is under a different weather threat.
Tropical Cyclone Blake developed north of Broome this past weekend before intensifying as it skirted along the Kimberley coastline early this week.
Blake made landfall as a Category 1 cyclone near Wallal Downs along the Kimberley coast early Wednesday morning, local time.
Blake weakened into a tropical rainstorm shortly after moving inland, ending the risk for damaging winds. However, flooding rainfall will remain a serious risk into Friday.
As the storm moves inland, heavy rain will continue to spread southward across central Western Australia. This can bring flash flooding across the rugged desert terrain.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict widespread rainfall of 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 400 mm (16 inches) across central Western Australia.
Unfortunately, moisture from Blake is not expected to reach southeastern Australia where hundreds of wildfires continue to burn in one of the worst fire seasons on record.
A second tropical threat may take shape in the coming days as a tropical low spins over Australia's Top End.
A west-southwest track will take the tropical low very close to Darwin between Thursday night and Friday night.
Tropical rainfall and flooding are the main threats with some risk for locally damaging winds in Darwin and Palmerston City.
Similar risks may extend southward to Pine Creek and Wadeye.
While this tropical threat did not have a chance to develop prior to moving inland across the Top End, it will have another chance to develop as it moves into the Timor Sea and passes near the northern Kimberley coastline.
A continued track to the west may spare the rest of Western Australia any direct impacts; however, residents of the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts should monitor this tropical threat closely.
Check back with AccuWeather.com for more updates on the weather affecting Australia and the world.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
New tropical threat brewing near Australia's Top End following Cyclone Blake
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist & Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 3, 2020 10:55 AM EST
Firefighters raced to stop a wildfire from claiming a home in Burrowye, Victoria, on Dec. 30.
While the dangerous fires in Australia continue to make global headlines this week, the opposite side of the country is under a different weather threat.
Tropical Cyclone Blake developed north of Broome this past weekend before intensifying as it skirted along the Kimberley coastline early this week.
Blake made landfall as a Category 1 cyclone near Wallal Downs along the Kimberley coast early Wednesday morning, local time.
Blake weakened into a tropical rainstorm shortly after moving inland, ending the risk for damaging winds. However, flooding rainfall will remain a serious risk into Friday.
As the storm moves inland, heavy rain will continue to spread southward across central Western Australia. This can bring flash flooding across the rugged desert terrain.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict widespread rainfall of 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 400 mm (16 inches) across central Western Australia.
Unfortunately, moisture from Blake is not expected to reach southeastern Australia where hundreds of wildfires continue to burn in one of the worst fire seasons on record.
Related:
A second tropical threat may take shape in the coming days as a tropical low spins over Australia's Top End.
A west-southwest track will take the tropical low very close to Darwin between Thursday night and Friday night.
Tropical rainfall and flooding are the main threats with some risk for locally damaging winds in Darwin and Palmerston City.
Similar risks may extend southward to Pine Creek and Wadeye.
While this tropical threat did not have a chance to develop prior to moving inland across the Top End, it will have another chance to develop as it moves into the Timor Sea and passes near the northern Kimberley coastline.
A continued track to the west may spare the rest of Western Australia any direct impacts; however, residents of the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts should monitor this tropical threat closely.
Check back with AccuWeather.com for more updates on the weather affecting Australia and the world.
Report a Typo