Tropical Cyclone Ernie Makes A Statement Offshore from NW Australia! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)

DISCUSSION: Over the past 24 to 48 hours, a tropical low quickly intensified to a minimal Category 2 Tropical Cyclone and then quickly to a monstrous Category 5 Tropical Cyclone.  Although this is a large and intense tropical cyclone, the good news in this situation is the fact that this storm is no threat to any part of Australia or any land mass whatsoever.  The only impacts with the remainder of Tropical Cyclone Ernie's lifetime will be strong wave action and some mid/high-level clouds across portions of northwestern Australia.  As this system continues to slowly travel in a southwesterly direction over the next couple of days, it will gradually begin to weaken down to a remnant tropical low pressure system well offshore from western Australia.  Needless to say that this is "a breath of fresh air" for many people across much of northwestern Australia in light of the recent impacts from Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie across several parts of northeastern Australia.  To learn more about this particular tropical cyclone, feel free to click the following link!

To learn more about other high-impact weather events across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz