SYDNEY, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that as many as three cyclones could form off the country's north coast within days.
According to the BoM's tropical cyclone seven-day forecast, five tropical low storms could develop across northern Australia in the coming days.
Of those, it said that three have at least a moderate 25-percent chance of reaching cyclone strength between Sunday and Wednesday. Tropical lows are declared cyclones by the BoM when average wind speeds exceed 63 km per hour.
It said that a tropical low off the northwest coast of Western Australia in the Indian Ocean has the highest chance of reaching cyclone strength and could increase thunderstorm activity in the area.
The other two could develop in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the body of water between the Northern Territory and the northern parts of Queensland, and in the Coral Sea off Queensland's northeast coast.
Either one would be Queensland's first cyclone of the season.
Another of the tropical lows is expected to move towards the north Queensland coast on Friday, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain, and has a 15 percent chance of reaching cyclone strength between Friday and Sunday.
Cairns, a city in northern Queensland, and its surrounding areas has received over 300 millimeters of rainfall since Monday.
The deluge has triggered road closures, landslides and flooding.
Water rescue teams and the State Emergency Service on Wednesday evacuated residents of Gordonvale, about 20 km south of Cairns, due to flooding.
The BoM has warned residents of the region to expect more heavy rain and strong winds due to the storms forming off the coast. ■
