Late December is typically when the first tropical cyclone of the season makes landfall in Australia. So, what are the chances of a tropical cyclone forming in Australian waters between Christmas and New Years Eve this year? Computer models indicate that a couple of low pressure systems embedded within the monsoon trough near Indonesia could move south during the Christmas period. While there is not good agreement between forecast models on the future movement and intensification of these lows at this stage, there's a chance that one of the lows could become a cyclone in the near future, possibly threatening the northern WA coast next week. Tropical cyclones are dynamic systems and predictions of their future development is prone to change on a daily basis. Now is a good time to remember where to look for the latest cyclone information during the week ahead and throughout the season. The latest track maps and information on active systems can be found on the Weaterzone website: http://www.weatherzone.com.au/charts/tropicalcyclone.jsp Cyclone outlooks and official warnings can be found on the Bureau's website: http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/ Weatherzone Layers is a great way to view systems via satellite once they have formed: https://www.weatherzone.com.au/layers/ Also remember to have an emergency plan ready to activate if a cyclone strikes. The Bureau of Meteorology predict that there will be a near-average number of Tropical Cyclones in the Australian region this season. This is around 11 or 12 named systems in our waters, although not all of these would make landfall. These are the next 12 names that will be given to tropical cyclones that form in Australian waters: - Hilda - Irving - Joyce - Kelvin - Linda - Marcus - Nora - Owen - Penny - Riley - Savannah - Trevor