Tropical Cyclone Watch Issued for Cooktown to Lucinda as Tropical Low 29U Develops

Weather Warnings high BOM · · North Tropical Coast, Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tropical cyclone watch for Queensland's North Tropical Coast as Tropical Low 29U moves toward the region with a moderate chance of intensification.

Alert Details

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued Tropical Cyclone Advice Number 1 for Tropical Low 29U. This is a major warning group alert indicating a moderate chance of a tropical cyclone developing off the North Tropical Coast before making landfall on Friday.

Affected Areas

A Watch Zone is currently in effect for the following regions in Queensland:

  • Cooktown to Lucinda
  • Port Douglas
  • Cairns
  • Innisfail
  • Palm Island

What You Should Do

Residents in the watch zone are advised to take the following actions:

  • Stay informed by checking local government Disaster Dashboards for the latest updates.
  • Visit the Get Ready Queensland website (www.getready.qld.gov.au) for cyclone preparedness and safety advice.
  • For non-life-threatening emergency assistance, contact the State Emergency Services (SES) at 132 500 or via the SES Assistance QLD App.

Expected Conditions

As of 10:00 am AEST, Tropical Low 29U was located approximately 560 kilometres northeast of Cairns, moving west-northwest at 10 kilometres per hour.

  • Wind: Sustained winds near the centre are 65 km/h with gusts to 95 km/h. Gales with gusts to 100 km/h are forecast to develop over exposed coastal areas between Port Douglas and Cardwell, including Cairns, starting Thursday evening. These winds may extend north to Cooktown or south to Palm Island depending on the system’s track.
  • Rainfall: Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is forecast for coastal and adjacent inland areas north of Ingham starting Thursday, potentially extending south to Palm Island on Friday.
  • Tides: Tides are likely to be higher than normal between Port Douglas and Ingham, though they are not expected to exceed the highest tide of the year.

Timeline

  • Alert Issued: 10:53 am EST, Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
  • Gale Development: Expected Thursday evening, March 5.
  • Potential Landfall: Forecast for Friday, March 6.
  • Next Update: Scheduled for 5:00 pm AEST, Wednesday, March 4.

Source: BOM Official Notice

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