Australia's latest hurricane forecast says Tropical Storm Alfred is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 storm on the 5-point Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale off the coast of Australia, Australia, on February 26.
According to Mr. Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), at 4:00 a.m. on February 25, local time, the storm was located 900 km east of Mackay and 570 km northeast of Willis Island.
"Today and tonight, we expect the storm to move southeast and continue to strengthen," said Narramore.
Storm Alfred formed off the Northwest coast of Australia on February 23 and intensified as it moved south over the Coral Sea.
The storm is forecast to strengthen to Category 3 on the morning of February 26 and maintain this level for February 27-28, moving south and further along the coast of Australia.
There are different scenarios for the storm's path over the weekend, with it likely moving inland or further south, off the coast of Queensland, and through next week, Narramore said.
The BOM issued a strong wind warning for coastal waters in Townsville, Mackay, Capricorn and Fraser Island on February 25-26.
Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury recommends that people follow the BOM's forecast map throughout the week.
Ms. Bradbury said a Category 3 storm could still cause serious damage, with gusts of up to 220 km/h. She noted that this is a very dangerous level.
Jasper Humphries, commander of the State Emergency Services Area (SES) Rockhampton, stressed that it is never too early to prepare for a storm.
Previously, super typhoon Zelia - the strongest storm to hit the Earth this year - made landfall in Australia on February 14. Zelia is the most serious storm to hit the Pilbara coast of Western Australia since Typhoon Ilsa in April 2023.
Typhoon Zelia brought heavy rain and gusts of up to 290 km/h when it made landfall.
The Australian hurricane season runs from November to April, which is the spring and summer months in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia typically experiences about 10 typhoons a year, of which about 4-5 typhoons make landfall.
