Australia Weather News

A tropical cyclone warning has been issued for areas from Cape Hotham to Maningrida in the Northern Territory. - ABC

A tropical cyclone is expected to form off Australia's north today and move above Western Australia's Kimberley region over the weekend.

The system, currently a tropical low, is intensifying in waters off the Tiwi Islands and is expected to turn towards the north coast of the Northern Territory's Top End during Friday.

If it forms into a tropical cyclone it will be called Marcus.

The system is then expected to take a south-westerly course during Saturday and move into the Timor Sea late Saturday or early Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Neil Bennett said the WA office was closely monitoring the situation.

"We're working in very close collaboration, not just with the cyclone warning centre in Darwin, but also the various emergency agencies both in the NT and in WA," Mr Bennett said.

"As things stand right now it looks like we'll be looking after this system as we move into Sunday."

'Zone of uncertainty'

Mr Bennett said the latest modelling shows the northern Kimberley was more at risk from the effects of the system than the Western Kimberley.

But he said it was still too early to say with any certainty that western parts of the region would not be affected.

"We have an area that we call the 'zone of uncertainty'," Mr Bennett said.

"We put what we call a consensus track out, which is where we think the most likely area is for the system to move, but that doesn't rule out that western Kimberley zone.

"It's very wise for people in that area to keep a very close watch on the warnings coming out from the Bureau."

Roads in the western Kimberley are still under water following heavy downpours from Cyclone Kelvin in mid-February.

If Tropical Cyclone Marcus does eventuate, it will be the sixth to enter WA's jurisdiction this season.

If it makes landfall, it will be the fourth of those to do so, following Hilda, Joyce and Kelvin.

At this stage, gales with wind gusts up to 110 kilometres per hour may develop between Cape Hotham and Maningrida later today, extending to Millingimbi if it tracks further east.

Heavy rain is also expected to develop along the north coast of the Northern Territory today, and extend into the northwest Top End on Saturday.

ABC