Flood-hit region braces for severe cyclone

Keira Jenkins and Kat Wong | January 22, 2024

A severe tropical cyclone set to hit the Queensland coast may be more destructive than the system that devastated the far north barely a month ago.

North Queensland is bracing for a category three cyclone to make a “severe impact” when it crosses the coast as early as Wednesday, with 220km/h wind gusts and more heavy rainfall forecast.

The far north is still recovering from record flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper which was a category two system when it impacted landfall n mid-December.

A tropical low in the Coral Sea is set to develop into a cyclone – which will be called Kirrily – by Tuesday.

Cyclone Kirrily is then expected to strengthen before it impacts the Queensland coast, with areas around Townsville currently in the firing line.

“It’s likely to cross the coast between Innisfail and Airlie Beach and then move further south,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Daniel Hayes told AAP.

“There’s some uncertainty about how far inland it may track before it starts to move south.”

Damaging wind gusts of up to 120km/h and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding are set to develop in those north Queensland regions from Wednesday.

“We would obviously be concerned if there was to be any further impact on those areas that were already hit by tropical Cyclone Jasper and are very much still in recovery mode,” federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt told ABC radio on Monday.

“But really, if we’re talking about a category three system, that could have pretty serious effects wherever it crosses landfall.”

Intense showers are then expected to spread to inland areas and even further north later this week.

Cairns Mayor Terry James urged his community not to be complacent with king tides also forecast this week.

“Weather systems are unpredictable and while its (cyclone’s) forecast track suggests an impact south of Cairns, it is a timely reminder to residents that we are still in the wet season and we need to be prepared at all times,” he said.

By Friday the system is expected to become a rain depression set to trigger heavy inland falls that may track toward southeast Queensland on the weekend.

“Our greatest concern is just stretching out emergency services, the fatigue amongst them has been pretty high,” Premier Steven Miles told ABC Radio.

“If it (cyclone) is as bad as the bureau says it could be (it) really will test them.”

A category one system is already in Australian waters, Cyclone Anggrek.

It is about 570km west of the Cocos Islands, off Western Australia’s coast.

Anggrek is expected to move west out of Australian waters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a tropical low has moved into WA’s Kimberley region after causing widespread flooding, road closures and evacuations in the Northern Territory.

The NT community of Kalkarindji could remain isolated as the Victoria River rose to near-record flood levels on Sunday, with some catchments receiving up to 370mm of rain in three days. 

A severe weather warning has been issued for the Kimberley, Pilbara and North Interior regions, with heavy rainfall and flash flooding possible.

There are flood warnings for the Fitzroy and Ord Rivers.