Australia and South Pacific seeing New Cyclone Activity
The Southern Hemisphere, while weak, has been active to begin the decade. This has not changed recently as we have two notable tropical systems active in Invest 99P and Cyclone Wasi in the Australian region and South Pacific basin, respectively.
Invest 99P
Invest 99P/07U is moving slowly westward in the Gulf of Carpentaria and has not been designated as a tropical cyclone by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) as of yet. It currently has 1-minute sustained winds of 30 mph and a minimum pressure of 1004 mb, according to our estimates and is likely to strengthen as it begins a south-southwestward motion over this weekend and is likely to make landfall early next week as a Category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds are anticipated/already occurring within and around the cone above, especially with a storm of this size and relative current lack of forward motion. A Cyclone Watch is in effect from Karumba to Nhulunbuy, including Mornington Island, Borroloola, Wollogorang and Groote Eylandt.
Tropical Storm Wasi/18P
Cyclone Wasi is moving Southeast at a relatively slow pace as a Category 1 tropical cyclone, verified by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) with 10-minute sustained winds of 40 mph and a minimum pressure of 995 mb. Wasi is expected to slowly attain a more Southward forward direction over the coming days, peaking as a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone in doing so of which usually amounts to a Category 1 or 2 hurricane-equivalent. As portrayed by the forecast cone, American Samoa and Niue are within the main areas of danger from the cyclone, the first of which is immediate.
As said before, heavy rain and strong winds can and usually will occur within and around the areas shaded by the forecast cone.
For further information, refer to your local meteorological office. Force Thirteen is also providing more updates on Wasi and other storms around the world on their youtube channel, facebook and twitter accounts.