Cyclone Alfred forms off Queensland coast

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has formed off the Queensland coast, as the weather bureau keeps a close eye on modelling to predict its path.

The Bureau of Meteorology declared the category one system in the Coral Sea as a cyclone late on Sunday afternoon.

It is about 840 kilometres north-east of Cairns and predicted to gather strength and move south-east and then south in a "slow turn" before possibly turning back towards Queensland.

Cyclone Alfred is predicted to reach category three by Tuesday, but meteorologist Baden Gilbert said its exact path remained uncertain, based on computer modelling.

"In the short-term, it's expected to continue moving eastwards away from the Queensland coast," he said.

"It will then very slowly start to turn south-eastwards and then southwards, but still well east of the Queensland coast.

"Towards the end of [the] week, some model guidance takes it on a south-southwesterly track, some [models] take it south-easterly, further away from Queensland.

"It's hard to be confident about the track … there's a variety of different scenarios that could unfold.

"It's a bit up in the air still."

The bureau expects to have a better understanding in the coming days of whether the system will move towards the Queensland coast.

"We'll continue to assess the data as it comes in," Mr Gilbert said.

The cyclone's name was either going to be Alfred or Bianca, depending on when the tropical low developed into a cyclone.

Another low is spinning off the WA coast and is predicted to become a cyclone on Sunday night or Monda.

Strong wind warnings

Mr Gilbert said there was a "ridge" sitting across the state's interior, which was bringing fine conditions.

"But between the ridge and the tropical low … we are getting a bit of a squeeze of those south-easterly winds.

That is leading to strong wind warnings for coastal waters between Cooktown and K'gari on Sunday, and between Townsville and Rockhampton from Monday.

"They're expected to persist for a number of days, potentially contracting more to the central coast by the time we get to Wednesday," he said.

Showers are forecast this week along the east coast down to the New South Wales border.

"Potentially a bit more widespread in some places like the Sunshine Coast and bits [of the coast] that stick out a bit more."

The bureau is urging Queenslanders to keep an eye on the cyclone's path throughout the week.

Story By: Josh Dye

Original Story link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-23/cyclone-alfred-forms-off-queensland-coast/104970998