Weather News

Tropical Cyclone Jasmine forms off QLD coast

Tropical Cyclone Jasmine has formed off the tropical Queensland coast.

Late Saturday evening a monsoon low reached category 1 status after strengthening over warm Coral Sea waters. This low has slowly tracked eastwards from the Gulf of Carpentaria since mid last week. Heavy rain, storms and squally winds followed in its wake until it cleared the Australian mainland on Saturday.

The system had been generating consecutive 100mm + rainfall totals day after day, with winds gusting over 85 km/h at Willis Island during Saturday afternoon.

Presently Jasmine is located more than 350 km from the mainland and continues to move away from the coast in a northeasterly direction at 13 km/h.

No regions are presently under a cyclone watch or warning.

Jasmine is not expected to directly affect the Queensland coast, however it will generate locally high seas and direct large swell towards the coast over the next few days. Jasmine is expected to intensify into a category 2 system during the next 12-18 hours.

While forecasts are consistently picking an eastward track for Jasmine, tropical cyclones are notoriously unpredictable phenomena and extreme care should be taken. Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings at weatherzone.com.au.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2012

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