A tropical cyclone has formed to the north of WA and is expected to become a severe tropical cyclone before making landfall later this week.

Tropical Cyclone Zelia formed early on Wednesday morning, becoming the 5th system to be named inside Australia's area of responsibility so far this season.

At 5am AWST, Zelia was a category one tropical cyclone sitting roughly 200 km off the north coast of WA. However, has been some disagreement between forecast agencies regarding to exact position of Zelia on Wednesday morning, mainly due to northeasterly winds blowing deep convective clouds away from the cyclone’s centre, making its position difficult to determine.

Image: Day/night satellite images showing Tropical Cyclone Zelia to the north of WA on Wednesday morning.

Despite this confusion around its initial position, Zelia is likely to move slowly towards the south or southwest over the next couple of days. This slow journey southward will allow the cyclone to draw energy from a pool of very warm water where sea surface temperatures are above 31°C, causing Zelia to strengthen as it approaches the WA coast.

Image: Sea surface temperatures off the north coast of WA at the start of this week, showing a blob of very warm water near the coast. Source: Bureau of Meteorology

While there is still some uncertainty regarding Zelia’s future track and development, most forecast models agree that the system should become a severe tropical cyclone before crossing the coast. Landfall at this stage will most likely occur between late Thursday and Saturday somewhere between Karratha and Bidyadanga, most likely somewhere around Port Hedland to Pardoo.

If Zelia does cross the coast as a severe tropical cyclone, it will bring very destructive winds, heavy rain and a dangerous storm surge to parts of northern WA later this week.

Be sure to check the latest tropical cyclone advisories for the most up-to-date information on this developing system. You can also find advice on preparing for a tropical cyclone here.