Cyclones on way, so be prepared

THE 2018-2019 Tropical Cyclone Outlook forecasts four potential cyclones crossing the east coast.

This is considered a belowaverage cyclone outlook, but Bureau of Meteorology State Manager Bruce Gunn said one crossing the coast was all it took to create mayhem.

“Any cyclone in the Coral Sea has a one-in-four chance of crossing the coast and that’s the one people need to be prepared for,” he said. “At the earliest opportunity, Far North people in the know should check their emergency kit, refresh knowledge of emergency procedures, and stock up on batteries and the like.”

Mr Gunn said the outlook was similar to the one for 2016-2017, which preceded Cyclone Debbie.

“That was the only one that formed on the Coral Sea, which you would call ‘below average’, but in terms of impact, Cyclone Debbie was the second most expensive in history next to Cyclone Tracy,” he said.

“Our projections for rainfall are below average due to weak El Nino conditions, meaning the region is unlikely to see another flood.”

During El Nino years, the first cyclone is likely to cross the coast around the second week of January.

An early cyclone that formed near Fiji in late September surprised experts, but Mr Gunn said it wasn’t likely to impact the season.

“Generally the cyclone season runs from November to April and anything outside that is unusual,” he said.