Fourth cyclone brewing?

The Bureau of Meteorology says it is too early to tell whether tropical low systems predicted to form this weekend will have a coastal impact.

When the North West Telegraph went to print earlier this week, the bureau was predicting a high chance one or two tropical systems would form in the monsoon trough north of WA near the end of this week.

BoM commercial weather services forecaster Chris Blackford said computer models were indicating there would be up to two “significant” lows or tropical cyclones over the ocean off WA by this weekend.

“It appears the monsoon trough to the north of the State is becoming more active, and there looks like an increase in the monsoon surge over the Indonesia archipelago,” he said on Monday.

“At this stage we wouldn’t nominate an area for crossing or say whether a cyclone will cross the coast, it’s still too early.

“Once it looks as if a cyclone will form within 24 to 48 hours the tropical cyclone warning centre will be activated and they will issue specific forecasts for the system.”

If a cyclone forms, it will be called tropical cyclone Rusty, and would be the fourth cyclone in the Western region this season.