Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Season’s first tropical cyclone could impact Queensland coast
Tropical Cyclone Jasper has formed 1500km northeast of Cairns as a category one system and is expected to strengthen as it moves towards the coast.
December 5, 2023
The first tropical cyclone of the season has formed in the Pacific, with meteorologists warning it’s expected to intensify and could move near the Queensland coast.
Cyclone Jasper is currently a slow-moving category one weather system about 1500 km northeast of Cairns, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
But it’s expected to strengthen and become a severe category three tropical cyclone on Wednesday as it tracks south-southwest towards the northeast Coral Sea.
“Jasper may move near the Queensland coast from early next week (but) there is large uncertainty as to which parts of the … coast will be impacted,” a Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre bulletin released on Tuesday said.
Meteorologist Steven Hadley said some modelling suggested Jasper could travel south and cross the coast near Brisbane as a tropical low.
“But more likely than not, it would be in the tropical areas of Queensland … it’s just really too early to say just yet,” he told ABC radio.
The bureau’s technical bulletin said recent guidance favoured a scenario where Jasper approached the Queensland coast between Cooktown and Mackay next week.
“A small amount of guidance has a more southerly track, consequently moving the system towards the Queensland coast, south of Mackay,” it said.