Weather & Science
Cyclone Alfred’s Slow and Erratic Path Challenges Forecasters
- Storms that develop in the Coral Sea can take ‘variable paths’
- System expected to make landfall near Brisbane on Saturday
Brisbane on March 7. Cyclone Alfred has slowly moved south after forming late last month to the east of Cairns, about 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) to the north of Brisbane.
Photographer: Albert Perez/Getty Images
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A cyclone threatening Australia’s southeast coast has taken a long and meandering path over the past week, challenging forecasters seeking to provide residents in the storm’s path with certainty on its track.
The issue stems from where the system has developed. Storms that form in the Coral Sea off Queensland can take “erratic and variable paths” because competing high and low pressure systems steer them in different directions, said Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist at Australia’s weather bureau.