Queensland is on alert for a tropical cyclone predicted to form off the coast of the state’s far north in the coming days.
It is not expected to make a direct impact, which is a much-needed respite after golf-ball-sized hail and 100-kilometre-an-hour winds left more than 10,000 residents without power on Friday night.
The alert was issued on Friday by the Bureau of Meteorology and forecasted a high chance of a tropical cyclone developing near the Solomon Islands or far northeast of the Coral Sea during the week.
The system will likely move into Australia’s area of responsibility in the Solomon Sea by Monday or Tuesday, before turning to the south or southwest.
The Bureau said it could move into the far northeast of the Coral Sea by either Wednesday or Thursday.
