Less than two weeks after Severe Tropical Cyclone Veronicaunloaded flooding rain along the Pilbara coast of Western Australia, a new cyclone is brewing with potential impacts to the same region during the first half of next week.
As AccuWeather meteorologists have been warning about since last week, a new tropical cyclone will take shape over the warm waters of Timor Sea around Friday night or Saturday, local time. The next cyclone in the Australian basin will be named Wallace.
"The developing cyclone may track close enough to shore that the outer bands of the storm can produce rain, some heavy, and rough seas along the Kimberley coast of Western Australia this weekend," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls.
Locally flooding downpours will also continue to stream into the Top End through the weekend.
The cyclone may quickly strengthen into Sunday, potentially becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone with strength equal to a Category 1 or 2 hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific oceans by the end of the weekend.
Seas will build over the waters north of Western Australia as the cyclone intensifies, creating dangers for those with shipping interests in the region.
Beyond the weekend, scenarios for the cyclone range from a direct hit to a near miss along the Pilbara coast.
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Latest indications are that chances for a landfall on the Pilbara coast are less likely than previous concerns, but residents should not let their guard down.
Since the cyclone has not formed and any expected impacts on the Pilbara coast are still several days away, AccuWeather meteorologists are not ruling out the scenario of the cyclone slamming onto a portion of the coast with flooding rain and damaging winds.
"Even if the cyclone does not make landfall, it can still track close enough to shore to bring heavy rain, gusty winds, rough surf and coastal flooding to the Pilbara and Gascoyne coasts of Western Australia," Nicholls said.
Such impacts may graze the Pilbara coast early in the week before targeting the Gascoyne coast at midweek.
"Some of the same areas that were affected by Severe Tropical Cyclone Veronica in late March could be affected by heavy rain and damaging winds by this cyclone," Nicholls added.
The region would be more susceptible to flooding with the ground still saturated from Veronica's deluge.
Download the free AccuWeather app to remain aware of the latest track for the budding cyclone and any impacts on your community.
All residents are urged to review what preparations would need to be taken should the cyclone threaten.
On the heels of this cyclone, the Timor Sea will continue to be monitored for another system to follow.
"Conditions may not be as conducive for development in the wake of soon-to-be Wallace, so any storm likely remains weak," Nicholls said. "However, there is still a small concern that any low over the Timor Sea could strengthen into a weak cyclone toward next weekend."
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