Australia's state emergency services on Friday said they are keeping a close eye on three cyclones approaching the coasts of North Queensland and Western Australia's south-west respectively.
Tropical Cyclone Anthony has reformed into a category one system off North Queensland and has turned back towards land.
According to the weather bureau, the cyclone reformed on Friday morning and is about 950 kilometers north-north-east of Townsville of Queensland.
Forecaster Greg Connor said it is likely to cross the coast between Cooktown and Mackay sometime early Monday morning.
"We do expect it to intensify. It's probable that it will get to category one or two, but there is the possibility it will get to category three before it gets to the coast," he told ABC News on Friday.
"The big danger with Anthony is that it's starting to move now towards the coast and we're likely to be putting out a cyclone watch for the coastal listening area for this evening from 5:00pm onwards."
According to ABC News, another system is off Fiji and could hit Australia's state of Queensland as a category four or five cyclone as early as next Thursday.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said this system potentially poses the bigger threat to the state, and she has reactivated the state's disaster management group to deal with the threat.
Meanwhile, authorities along the south-west coast of Western Australia are preparing for possible damage from Cyclone Bianca.
The bureau said there is a significant risk that Bianca, a category three system, could maintain tropical cyclone intensity as it approaches the coast early on Sunday.
Bureau regional director Mike Bergin said although Bianca is expected to weaken to a category one system overnight, there will likely be very wild weather on Sunday.
"[There will be] damaging wind gusts to 120 kilometers per hour, so that will see severe to extreme fire danger with the northerly winds," he said.
"We'll be seeing very rough seas, increasing swells, significant wave heights probably up towards four metres. We'll probably see beach erosion as well." |