Tropical Cyclone Imogen
© BUREAU OF METEOROLOGYA satellite view of Tropical Cyclone Imogen over north-west Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria coast.
A tropical low has intensified overnight and formed Tropical Cyclone Imogen, which made landfall in north-west Queensland and brought 105km/h winds to the area.

However, the Bureau of Meteorology expects the category one cyclone to weaken and be downgraded to a tropical low again later on Monday. However, severe weather warnings remain in place.

Tropical Cyclone Imogen formed about 7pm on Sunday and crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria coast just to the north of Karumba, about 530 kilometres west of Cairns, about 9pm on Sunday.

It generated sustained winds near the centre of 75km/h with wind gusts up to 100km/h. A wind gust of 105km/h were recorded near Normanton on the southwestern flank of the cyclone.


From 9am on Sunday to 7am on Monday, Normanton received more than 260 millimetres of rain and Mornington Island Airport recorded almost 200 millimetres.

"Imogen is expected to continue moving east-south-eastwards [at 21km/h] in the short term, taking it further inland today," according to the weather bureau cyclone forecast.

"The system has recently maintained its strength over land, but later this morning is expected to gradually transition to a tropical low.

"Gales are likely to continue to extend out to about 80 kilometres from the centre of the cyclone for the next few hours.

"Winds should generally ease below gale force during Monday morning as Imogen transitions to a tropical low, but squally thunderstorms with more isolated damaging wind gusts remain possible.

"Heavy rainfall that is likely to lead to flash flooding, flooding of low lying areas and riverine flooding is being observed about the southeast Gulf of Carpentaria coast and adjacent inland.

"The risk of a significant storm tide along the Gulf coast is no longer expected.

"Longer term, the system is expected to track more slowly to the southeast towards the North Tropical and Herbert-Lower Burdekin coasts as a deep tropical low."