Overview
- Tropical Low 29U is forecast to approach the coast between Cooktown and Townsville on Thursday or Friday, with about a 30% chance of reaching category one before landfall.
- Flood watches and river warnings remain active for the western Cape York Peninsula and the North Tropical Coast, including the Herbert, Norman, Flinders, Nicholson and Leichhardt catchments.
- Recent downpours delivered 100–300mm in parts of Far North Queensland, inundating Ingham and cutting the Bruce Highway, which has since reopened north of the town as some areas remain isolated.
- BOM guidance indicates rain will intensify from Thursday and could extend down the Queensland coast through the weekend, potentially increasing flood risk further south depending on the system’s track.
- A separate low, 31U, in the Gulf of Carpentaria carries a low (about 10–15%) cyclone chance and is expected to drift west, bringing additional rain to the Gulf coast and inland Northern Territory.