Forecaster warns of cyclone in next week

THE only person to correctly predict the massive weather event that hit Townsville last week is warning a cyclone could hit North Queensland this week.

David Taylor owns Brisbane Weather and East Coast Weather, and on February 25 forecast 600mm would fall in Townsville on February 28.

In some areas nearly 800mm was recorded over the week.

He said modelling predicted a “very high chance” of a cyclone forming in the Coral Sea in the next week.

He believed a cyclone could form on Wednesday, however a second model pointed to next Tuesday.

Mr Taylor said the “decent cyclone” would cross the Queensland coast between Cairns and Gladstone.

He pointed to other forecasters who were also predicting a cyclone this week.

“It’s looking pretty he said.

Another long- term prediction made by Mr Taylor is for one of the coldest Australian winters on record.

“I predicted that six months ago,” he said.

“We’ve already seen what America’s winter was like and Scotland just got hammered.

Mr Taylor said the chill would impact large swathes of Australia.

“It will be slightly cooler than normal in the north but the real cold will be in the southern states and southeast Queensland in places like Warwick and Stanthorpe,” he said.

Mr Taylor said his predictions used Global Forecast System modelling along with the European Centre for Medium- Range Weather Forecast and changes in sunspot activity. scary,”