Tropical Cyclone Freddy named off the West Australia coast

07/02/2023

Issued: Tuesday 7 February 2023

Tropical Cyclone Freddy was named as a Category 1 system by the Bureau of Meteorology last night. The cyclone is currently around 700km northwest of Broome, Western Australia and will have minimal impacts to the Australian mainland. It is expected to move further away from the Western Australia coast throughout the week.

The Bureau is responsible for the issue of all warnings, and information for tropical cyclones for Australia.

The Bureau continues to monitor two other tropical lows, one in the Coral Sea and one in the Indian Ocean near Cocos Island.

The tropical low in the Coral Sea is being monitored as it approaches the Queensland coast this week. It is currently not a tropical cyclone but is likely to strengthen into a tropical cyclone late Wednesday, into early Thursday.

The system is not expected to make landfall in Queensland and will have no direct coastal impacts. However, it may produce strong and gusty coastal winds, showers and increased wave and swell activity across the central coast of Queensland, then extending to southern coastal areas/waters. Severe Weather Warnings for hazardous surf may be issued later this week, but this is highly dependent on the exact track and intensity of the tropical cyclone.

This tropical low is forecast to become a Severe Category 3 Cyclone late Thursday early Friday as it continues to move further offshore from the Queensland coast.

There may be impacts for Norfolk Island on the weekend bringing strong to damaging winds, heavy rain and dangerous seas and swell, but this is highly dependent on the exact track and intensity of the possible tropical system. North Island of New Zealand maybe also impacted early next week depending on its track and intensity.

The tropical low near the Cocos Islands has a low chance of developing into a cyclone but continues to be monitored.

If the two tropical low systems form into cyclones the next two names on the list are Gabrielle and Herman.

For more information about tropical cyclones visit our knowledge centre. To see the tropical cyclone forecast track map visit our website.

Communities should stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings via our website and Bureau Weather app and follow the advice of emergency services.