Tropical Cyclone Marcus Makes Landfall on North Coast of Australia

Tropical Cyclone Marcus made landfall on the northern coast of Western Australia east of Kalumburu on Saturday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Cyclone Marcus was located at latitude 14.2°S and longitude 127.7°E which put it about 70 miles (115 km) east of Kalumburu, Australia.  Marcus was moving toward the west-southwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (140 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 984 mb.  The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a Warning for the portion of the coast between Wyndham and Beagle Bay not including Wyndham or Derby.

Tropical Cyclone Marcus strengthened as it moved over the Timor Sea on Saturday.  There was a small circular eye at the center of circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of the circulation.  Storms in the core were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the tropical cyclone.

Tropical Cyclone Marcus will weaken on Sunday while the core of the circulation moves over the extreme northern part of Western Australia.  Marcus is likely to strengthen when the center moves west of Kuri Bay and back out over water.  The Sea Surface Temperature of the water west of Kuri Bay is around 30°C.  The upper level winds will be weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Marcus will likely intensify into the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon after the center of circulation moves back over water.

Tropical Cyclone Marcus is moving north of a subtropical ridge over Australia.  The ridge is steering Marcus to the west-southwest and that general motion is expected to continue for several more days.  On its anticipated track Tropical Cyclone Marcus will move over the Mitchell Plateau toward Kuri Bay.  Marcus will move away from the north coast of Western Australia when it moves west of Kuri Bay.