Potential cyclone expected to head for Queensland

[senorpepr]

The weather bureau expects a tropical cyclone to form in the next day or so and move towards Australia.

Senior forecaster Greg Bond says a low in the southern part of the Solomon Sea is expected to move into the Coral Sea and develop into a cyclone.

He says if that does occur it will be called Fritz.

Mr Bond says computer modelling suggests it will track towards Queensland.

"We've got maritime warnings out for possible gales developing around the system over the next 12 to 24 hours and that is the likely scenario at this stage on current indications from steering mechanisms in the upper part of the atmosphere - it is likely to move down towards the north tropical coast of Queensland," he said.

[senorpepr]

The weather bureau is continuing to chart the progress of a low pressure system off the far north Queensland coast and has now issued a tropical cyclone watch.

An advisory is current for coastal and island communities between Cape Grenville and Cooktown.
The low is expected to move slowly west during the next 24 hours and duty forecaster Joanna Williams says it should bring some severe weather conditions.

"There's no major change in terms of the intensity of the tropical low which is out in the north-west Coral Sea but we have now issued a cyclone watch for coastal communities between Cape Grenville and Cooktown, which means to say that within 24 to 48 hours we could see gales developing upon that coast," she said.

[Anonymous]

Another low forming behind this one will also have to be watched for tc formation.

[AussieMark]

IDQ10810

UPDATED
BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY
Queensland Region
Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre

TROPICAL CYCLONE OUTLOOK
for the Coral Sea West of Longitude 160 East
Issued at 12:27pm on Wednesday the 11th of February 2004

Tropical Cyclone Fritz crossed the Cape Yorke Peninsula coast near Cape Melville on Tuesday night.

At present there are no other significant tropical disturbances in the Coral Sea.

[AussieMark]

PRIORITY
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 8
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane
Issued at 1:57pm on Wednesday the 11th of February 2004

A Cyclone Warning is now current for Gulf of Carpentaria coastal and island
communities from Karumba westward to the Queensland-Northern Territory border.

A Cyclone Watch extends west to Alyangula in the Northern Territory.

At 2 pm EST [1.30 pm CST] Ex-Tropical Cyclone Fritz was overland west of
Cooktown on Cape York Peninsula. It is expected to move into the Gulf of
Carpentaria this evening when it may begin intensifying again into a tropical
cyclone.

Gales with damaging wind gusts to 100 km/hr could develop between Karumba and
the Queensland-Northern Territory border during Thursday morning.

Heavy rain and local flooding are expected over the Peninsula, Gulf Country and
North Tropical coast.

Details of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Fritz for 2 pm EST [1.30 pm CST]:
Central Pressure : 1000 Hectopascals
Location of Centre : within 40 kilometres of
latitude 15.5 degrees south
longitude 143.5 degrees east
about 200 kilometres west of Cooktown.
Recent Movement : southwest at 20 kilometres per hour


People between Karumba and Alyangula should consider what action they need to
take, and listen to the next advice at 5 pm EST [4.30 pm CST] Wednesday. If you
are unsure about actions to be taken, information is available from your local
Government or local State Emergency Services.

[Anonymous]