Cyclone Errol Near Broome, Could Loop Toward WA Coast

Tropical Cyclone Errol has officially formed off the north-west coast of WA, and while it’s not an immediate threat to land, the system’s taking a pretty interesting path.

Right now, Errol’s a Category 1 storm and was sitting about 475km north-north-west of Broome last night, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It’s currently heading west — but forecasters say it’s going to do a U-turn.

Yep, they reckon it’ll swing back towards the Kimberley by Thursday, and not only that, it's expected to intensify to a Category 3 system before making that turn.

Now, it’s still too early to say whether it’ll actually make landfall. But the Bureau is keeping a close eye on it, especially because even if the cyclone doesn’t hit directly, its outer winds could be felt along a 400km stretch of coastline by Friday night — from just north of Broome up to a little beyond Kuri Bay.

The good news? It looks like Errol will weaken again once it starts tracking back towards the coast — potentially back down to Category 1 by the time those outer winds are brushing past.

“Tropical Cyclone Errol is well to the north of Broome and moving west,” the Bureau said.“It is expected to continue moving west and intensify during Wednesday. From Thursday, Errol is expected to turn southeast towards the coast and weaken.”

So for now, it’s a bit of a wait-and-watch situation. No need to panic, but folks in the Kimberley should definitely keep an eye on updates — especially as the weekend gets closer.