Queensland · Tropical cyclones

Queensland cyclone information, in the right order.

Start with the current official cyclone outlook and advice. Use this guide to understand the products and find local weather context for Queensland.

BOM tropical cyclone forecasts and track maps →Official warnings →

Atmosphr guide · Content reviewed 24 September 2026 · Sources & approach

Current tropical cyclone warnings: Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has no tropical cyclone warnings current for Queensland. Bureau warnings page →

Warning titles and issue times from the Bureau of Meteorology's public warnings feed, © Commonwealth of Australia (terms), shown with links only: read each warning on the Bureau's site. Checked every 10 minutes; last received Mon, 2 Nov, 6:53pm AEST. Atmosphr is not affiliated with the Bureau.

Bushfire season now: current Queensland bushfire warnings and fires, updated every 10 minutes from the Queensland Fire Department feed.

Find the current cyclone information

This is an evergreen guide, not a live cyclone bulletin. It does not state whether a cyclone is active today. Open the Bureau’s cyclone page above for the current outlook, track maps and advice, and check the issue time and affected area there.

Outlook, track, watch and warning

Product	How to read it
Cyclone outlook	Start here for the Bureau’s assessment of possible development.
Forecast track map	The centre line is a forecast path, not a boundary for impacts. Read the uncertainty area and accompanying advice.
Watch area	The Bureau describes possible gale-force or destructive winds in the 24–48 hour period.
Warning area	The Bureau describes possible gale-force or destructive winds within 24 hours.

Follow the latest official wording: maps and advice change as the forecast develops.

Watch and warning timing in detail

For each coastal community in the forecast, the Bureau issues a tropical cyclone watch when gales are expected within the next 24 to 48 hours, and a tropical cyclone warning, updated every 3 hours, when gales are expected within 24 hours or are already occurring. Its track maps show the forecast movement, intensity and the watch and warning zones. On the track map, Get Ready Queensland describes the warning area as dark orange and the watch area as light orange.

Cyclone categories and typical gusts

The Bureau ranks cyclones from Category 1 (weakest) to Category 5 (strongest), based on maximum mean wind speed. The category describes wind only. It does not indicate the severity of rain, flooding or storm surge, and the Bureau notes a Category 1 cyclone can still cause significant flooding.

Category	Maximum mean wind	Typical strongest gust	Typical effects (Bureau)
1	63 to 88 km/h	Up to 125 km/h	Damaging winds. Negligible house damage; damage to some crops, trees and caravans.
2	89 to 117 km/h	125 to 164 km/h	Destructive winds. Minor house damage; significant damage to signs, trees and caravans; risk of power failure.
3 (severe)	118 to 159 km/h	165 to 224 km/h	Very destructive winds. Some roof and structural damage; some caravans destroyed; power failures likely.
4 (severe)	160 to 199 km/h	225 to 279 km/h	Significant roofing loss and structural damage; dangerous airborne debris; widespread power failures.
5 (severe)	More than 200 km/h	More than 279 km/h	Extremely dangerous, with widespread destruction of buildings and vegetation.

The Bureau also warns that damaging winds can extend several hundred kilometres from the centre of large, intense cyclones, and that when the eye passes over, the lull is soon replaced by destructive winds from another direction.

The season and who is most exposed

Get Ready Queensland says the state’s cyclone season officially runs from 1 November to 30 April, but cyclones can occur at other times. Communities within 50 kilometres of the coast from Bundaberg to Thursday Island, including the Gulf of Carpentaria, are the most susceptible. Wind, heavy rain and flooding from weakening cyclones and tropical lows can affect any part of Queensland, and the Bureau notes that heavy rain can persist as a system moves inland, so flooding can occur far from where it crossed the coast.

Storm surge and storm tide

A storm surge is a rise above the normal water level along the shore, caused by strong onshore winds and reduced air pressure. A storm tide is the surge combined with the normal astronomical tide; the worst impacts come when the surge arrives on a high tide. The Bureau describes storm surge as potentially the most dangerous cyclone hazard. When Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi crossed near Mission Beach in February 2011, a 5 metre surge was observed at the Cardwell storm tide gauge.

Get Ready Queensland says homes within 100 to 200 metres of an open shoreline can be affected by breaking waves during a storm tide, and that surge can reach the coast first, sometimes 24 hours before the main impact. If you are in a storm surge area, decide early whether you need to evacuate, and follow your council’s evacuation advice.

Warning levels from emergency services

Alongside the Bureau’s cyclone watches and warnings, Queensland agencies use the Australian Warning System. Advice (yellow) means an incident has started and there is no immediate danger. Watch and Act (orange) means a heightened threat and that you should start taking action. Emergency Warning (red) is the highest level: you may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Emergency Alert can send a voice message to landlines and a text to mobiles in affected areas, and the Standard Emergency Warning Signal may play on radio and TV before an urgent cyclone warning.

For flood and storm emergency help, call the SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

A preparation checklist

These steps are summarised from Get Ready Queensland’s cyclone guidance. Follow official instructions if they differ.

Before the season: maintain the house by fixing loose fittings, repairing roof damage, clearing gutters and trimming overhanging branches (see protect your home). Prepare an emergency kit with at least three days of supplies, or more if you could be isolated.
When a tropical low or cyclone forms: check your emergency plan and kit, know your storm surge risk and evacuation plan, and talk to neighbours who may need help.
When a cyclone is forecast to affect your area: fuel the car and park it sheltered on high ground; secure boats, caravans, trailers, outdoor furniture and shade sails; fit cyclone screens or board up exposed windows; fill containers with drinking water; learn how to turn off electricity (including solar), gas and water; choose a shelter room, usually the smallest room with no windows.
Within 24 to 48 hours: if you are in a storm surge area, decide whether to leave, and go early; bring everything inside; close windows, shutters and curtains; unplug electrical equipment; keep your kit and a grab-and-go bag within reach; move indoors with children and pets.
As it crosses: stay inside, away from windows, until official advice says it is safe. A calm eye does not mean the cyclone is over.

Queensland weather context

Open Queensland weather and warning links for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and South East Queensland shortcuts. Recent radar can show available rain echoes, but a radar loop cannot replace the official cyclone track or predict landfall.

The Atmosphr wind map is model guidance. Its moving arrows are not cyclone positions or emergency instructions.

Prepare for the impacts at your location

Get Ready Queensland explains cyclone and storm-surge preparation. Use your council’s information for local property and evacuation planning, and follow emergency services’ current instructions. Check the advice for your location even if it is away from the drawn centre line.

For coastal reading, the tide guides explain why astronomical tide predictions and weather-driven water levels are different.