New cyclone warning issued for Australia

A new cyclone warning was issued for Australia's Northern Territory on Tuesday as a slow-moving tropical storm is gathering strength, the media reported.

It is likely to become a cyclone on Tuesday before possibly intensifying into a category two system, the BBC quoted Australia's Bureau of Meteorology as saying.

Small island and coastal communities have been warned to prepare for heavy rain, gale-force winds and storm tides.

"The centre of the system is likely to cross the western Tiwi Islands sometime later on Tuesday," a forecaster said.

If the weather system develops as predicted, it will be named cyclone Frances, the bureau said.

It comes after Cyclone Debbie made landfall as a category four system in Queensland two weeks ago, causing massive floods that killed at least six people.

--IANS

ksk/vt