Tropical Low 05S/02U

First up: this is not a cyclone yet in the Australian system – it’s still a tropical low over the Timor Sea.

• Current data (JTWC): winds near the centre are about 35 knots (~65 km/h) over the ocean, with seas around 3 metres, roughly 280 km north of Darwin. JTWC labels it “Tropical Cyclone 05S” for their international system, but that doesn’t mean BOM has declared an Australian cyclone.

• What counts as a Category 1 cyclone here:In Australia, a Category 1 tropical cyclone is when the Bureau of Meteorology assesses 10-minute average winds near the centre of about 63–88 km/h (with stronger gusts).

So right now, the wind speeds are getting up around the lower end of Cat 1 strength, but under Australian rules it stays a tropical low until BOM formally upgrades and names it as a cyclone.