BAMOS October 2021
8 News
More cyclones than average likely for Australia this season
Bureau of Meteorology
An average to slightly above-average number of tropical cyclones are likely to form in the Australian region this season .
The season , which typically runs from November to April , usually sees around 11 cyclones in Australian waters , with around four of these crossing the coast . Australia has always seen at least one tropical cyclone cross the coast each season since reliable records began in the 1970s .
This outlook is influenced by :
• a 50 % chance ( double the normal risk ) of a La Niña forming in 2021
• warmer-than-average ocean temperatures to the north of Australia
• a negative Indian Ocean Dipole .
Tropical cyclones that stay well out to sea can still cause damaging winds , large and dangerous waves , and storm surges along the coast .
Tropical lows that do not intensify into cyclones , or lows that are the remnants of older cyclones , can cause widespread rainfall and dangerous flooding . These impacts can extend beyond the tropics into southern areas of the country .