Tropical low forecast to reach 'cyclone intensity' before landfall, BoM says

Friday, 9 January 2026 13:47

The slow-moving low, named 12U, will head towards the north tropical coast tonight and is likely to cross between Cairns and Ayr late Saturday evening or early Sunday.

A tropical low developing in the Coral Sea off northern Queensland will turn southwest later today and is forecast to reach cyclone intensity before it reaches the coast on the weekend.

The slow-moving low, named 12U, will head towards the north tropical coast tonight and is likely to cross between Cairns and Ayr late Saturday evening or early Sunday.

Regardless of whether it reaches tropical cyclone intensity, the Bureau of Meteorology is warning the impacts of the heavy rainfall and damaging winds on the already saturated region will be the same.

The Bureau warns the underlying wet soil puts the region at increased risk of tree fall and landslides.

While the cyclone warning is in place for the area from Port Douglas to Tully, including Cairns and Innisfail, a broader severe weather warning is in place for a 1000km stretch of coastline from Hope Vale in the north to Mackay, which will be hit with potentially flooding rain, beginning north of Townsville and then moving south.

"Damaging winds will extend south along the coast throughout the warning area on Saturday, and will turn east to northeasterly south of 12U on Saturday afternoon and evening," the Bureau said in its latest statement.

"Conditions could begin to ease about the North Tropical Coast north of Innisfail by Saturday evening, but are likely to persist into Sunday over parts of the Herbert and Lower Burdekin and Central Coast and Whitsundays.

"Rainfall totals and warning area is dependent on the development and position of the tropical low."

Further warnings will be issued as the system moves closer to the coast and residents in warning areas are advised to stay up to date.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.