Tropical Cyclone Watch Issued for Cooktown to Lucinda as Tropical Low 29U Intensifies
This alert is no longer in effect.
BOM issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this BoM weather warning directly from BOM's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A Tropical Cyclone Watch is in effect for the North Tropical Coast, with Tropical Low 29U forecast to bring gales and heavy rain starting Thursday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Tropical Cyclone Watch
- Affected area
- North Tropical Coast, Queensland
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- BOM
The warning type, named area, and issue time define this record. Confirm all three against the original agency notice before treating it as current.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in North Tropical Coast, Queensland.
Alert Details
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre has issued a Tropical Cyclone Watch for Tropical Low 29U. As of 10:50 am AEST on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the system is developing in the Coral Sea, north of Willis Island, with a moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone before making landfall.
Affected Areas
The Watch Zone encompasses the region from Cooktown to Lucinda. Specific areas and communities included in the watch are:
- Port Douglas
- Cairns
- Innisfail
- Palm Island
- Cardwell
- Adjacent inland areas including Atherton and Mareeba
What You Should Do
Residents within the watch zone should monitor weather conditions closely as the system approaches. Preparation for gale-force winds and heavy rainfall is advised. Mariners should consult coastal waters and high seas warnings, as this alert is primarily designed for land-based communities. Residents should be aware of the potential for flash flooding in low-lying areas.
Expected Conditions
Tropical Low 29U currently has sustained winds near the centre of 65 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching 95 kilometres per hour.
- Wind: Gales with gusts up 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 exact track.
- Rainfall: Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is expected to develop about coastal and adjacent inland areas north of Ingham on Thursday. This heavy rain may extend south to Palm Island and further inland on Friday.
- Tides: Tides are likely to be higher than normal between Port Douglas and Ingham.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 10:50 am AEST on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The system is currently moving west-northwest at 10 kilometres per hour but is expected to turn southwest toward the coast later today. Landfall on the North Tropical Coast is forecast for Friday. The current watch remains in effect with gales expected to impact the coast within 24 to 48 hours.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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