Tropical Cyclone Neville

Tropical Cyclone Neville has formed in the Indian Ocean Thursday 21 March and developed to a category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone. Severe Tropical Cyclone Neville is moving steadily westwards, well offshore of the west Pilbara coast, and it is not expected to impact mainland Australia. Neville is expected to continue to move steadily westwards across the Indian Ocean.

By the weekend Neville is forecast to be moving over cooler waters and is expected to begin to weaken as it moves to the south and southeast over open waters.

Headline:

Severe Tropical Cyclone Neville is intensifying as it moves to the west away from the Pilbara coast.

Areas affected:

Warning zone: None.

Watch zone: None.

Cancelled zones: None.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Neville at 2:00 pm AWST:

Intensity: category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 130 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 185 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 30 kilometres of 17.9 degrees South, 105.8 degrees East , 980 kilometres west northwest of Exmouth and 830 kilometres south of Christmas Island .

Movement: west at 19 kilometres per hour. Severe Tropical Cyclone Neville is continuing to intensify well northwest of the Pilbara coast and is moving west, further away from the mainland. It is expected to continue to move steadily west across the southern Indian Ocean and is likely to intensify further during Thursday and Friday. By the weekend Neville is forecast to be moving over cooler waters and is expected to begin to weaken as it moves to the south and southeast over open waters. Severe Tropical Cyclone Neville is not expected to impact mainland Australia.

The next Forecast Track Map will be issued by 9:00 pm AWST Monday