Key Points
- North Queensland is bracing for a category three cyclone to make "severe impact".
- Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is set to develop in the Coral Sea by Tuesday.
- More heavy rain and flooding is threatening to impact the region just weeks after record flooding.
Cyclone Kirrily is expected to form off the coast of Queensland as communities as far south of the border prepare for heavy rain.
After days of anticipation, an escalating tropical low over the Coral Sea is due to become an official tropical cyclone late on Tuesday.
A "severe impact" is likely, with the cyclone predicted to intensify to a category three before hitting the Queensland coast.
"Sustained gale-force winds, winds up to 120km/h, heavy rainfall and flash flooding are all possible," meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.
"This may bring down trees and power lines, cause property damage, closing roads and access routes and potentially even lead to power failures."
Far north Queensland is still recovering from record flooding caused by December's Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which was a category two system when it crossed the coast.
The latest cyclone is predicted to make landfall on Thursday, south of Townsville, but residents from Innisfail to Airlie Beach have been told to brace.
"Keep your car topped up with petrol, make sure you have a power pack for your phone, as when we see events like this that do cross the coast, it's up to 72 hours sometimes before emergency services can get out and assist you," state disaster coordinator Shane Chelepy said.
By Friday the system is expected to return to tropical low status, set to trigger heavy inland rainfall that may track toward southeast Queensland on the weekend.
"Even as the rainfall eases we're likely to see widespread flooding impacts following this system moving inland as the tropical low does," Bradbury said.
With a public holiday on Friday, Commissioner Chelepy urged anyone with long weekend plans to keep up to date with weather warnings.
"We are aware that a lot of people will be on our roads and through our campgrounds," he said.
"It is absolutely critical ... if you are between Innisfail right down to the Sunshine Coast and southeast Queensland that you stay connected."
Queensland Premier Steven Miles has warned it could take years for storm and flood-damaged properties in the state's southeast to be repaired. Source: AAP / Jono Searle
"They continue to work on recovery from those two prior events so we'll be carefully making sure that they have the support and resources that they need." he said.
Cyclone Anggrek and Northern Territory flooding
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.
The Northern Territory is also in recovery mode after heavy rainfall, record flooding, road closures and evacuations were caused by a tropical low that has moved into WA's Kimberley region.
Floodwaters are set to recede this week after widespread falls of up to 200mm.
