23U UPDATE

A tropical low (23U) in the Timor Sea is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone tonight and move closer to the coast over the weekend.

Areas affected:

Warning zone: Mitchell Plateau to WA/NT Border, including Wyndham and Kalumburu, not including Kununurra.

Watch zone: Point Stuart to Dundee Beach, including the Tiwi Islands, Wadeye and Darwin. Also Mitchell Plateau to Cockatoo Island..

Details of Tropical Low at 9:30 am ACST:

Intensity: tropical low, sustained winds near the centre of 55 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 85 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 55 kilometres of 12.4 degrees South, 127.8 degrees East , 330 kilometres west of Darwin and 245 kilometres north northeast of Kalumburu .

Movement: slow moving .

Tropical low 23U is currently located over the Timor Sea and is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone tonight or during Saturday morning. The system is likely to be slow-moving over the next two days.

There is some uncertainty about the movement of 23U in the longer term. There remains the possibly of a track moving to the east over the Top End though the track to the west southwest towards Western Australia is becoming more likely.

Hazards:

GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour are expected to develop between the WA/NT border to Mitchell Plateau from tonight.

GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour may develop in western parts of the Tiwi Islands tonight, possibly extending between Point Stuart and Dundee Beach including Darwin on Saturday morning. GALES with gusts to 100 kilometres per hour may also develop on Saturday between Mitchell Plateau to Cockatoo Island

HEAVY RAINFALL may develop over the Tiwi Islands and western parts of the Daly District during this afternoon and continue Saturday as the system intensifies. HEAVY RAINFALL is also expected to develop about northern parts of the Kimberley during Saturday and continue into the weekend and early next week, as the system approaches the coast.