The bureau warns of a severe cyclone and heatwaves; the preparation must begin now.

There is a rhythm to the seasons in Queensland—the wet summers, the dry winters, the cyclones that form in the warm waters of the Coral Sea and occasionally find their way to shore. But this year, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the rhythm is shifting, and the coming months may bring a season that tests the state's resilience in ways both familiar and new.

The bureau's annual severe weather outlook, released this week, forecasts an increased chance of a severe cyclone—category 3 or above—making landfall in Queensland during the season that runs from November through April. The warning is driven by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Coral Sea, which provide the energy that cyclones need to intensify .

"Weather sea surface temperatures are forecast to develop over the coming months," said forecaster Laura Boekel. "The warmer the sea temperatures are, the more energy that the cyclones have to become more severe" .

Last season saw two category 5 systems—ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle and ex-Tropical Cyclone Maila—develop in the Coral Sea for the first time since records began in 1970 . One of them, Narelle, made landfall in far north Queensland as a category 4 system in March, though it missed major population centers .

Beyond the cyclone threat, the bureau is predicting warmer than average temperatures across large parts of Queensland and below average rainfall until December. "This will increase the chance of heatwaves occurring, and will increase their severity as well," Boekel said .

The outlook has prompted the state government to launch a preparedness campaign, with an emphasis on bushfire readiness. Fire and Disaster Recovery Minister Ann Leahy urged residents across Queensland to make a severe weather emergency plan. Queensland Fire Department Commissioner Steve Smith noted that bushfire activity since the start of September has been up 20 percent compared to the previous year, with conditions expected to deteriorate until forecast heavy rainfall arrives at the end of the year .

For a state that has long lived with the cycles of cyclone and drought, the warning is not unfamiliar. But the warming of the Coral Sea, the back-to-back category 5 systems, and the lengthening of the fire season suggest that the familiar cycles are no longer quite what they were. The bureau's message is clear: prepare, and prepare early.

AI Image Disclaimer: Visuals in this article are AI-generated and do not depict actual weather events.

Sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Xinhua, WillyWeather