The northern parts of Australia (North Queensland, Northern Territory, Northern Western Australia) often get cyclones. And we call them cyclones not hurricanes or typhoons. This last one (Debbie) that hit over the last 24-hours was a huge, category 4 and has caused a lot of damage up North. She was over 100kms wide and the eye took about three hours to pass overhead.
People who live in the region are used to cyclones and know how to prepare, but we also get a lot of tourists in that part of the country. So they do cause challenges in ensuring people get out of the way of the cyclone and take shelter with family, friends or in official shelters outside of the cyclone’s path. We can get them as far down as Brisbane, and one danced up and down the coast a few years ago, but at the moment, it’s unusual for them to travel this far down the coast.
However, global warming is leading to temperature increases in the Pacific Ocean waters. This may lead to even more intense cyclones in the future. I’m not sure if the changing water temperature will lead to more cyclones, but the fact that the Irukandji jellyfish is now being found in waters much further south shows the oceans are warming. Since cyclones form over warm oceans when there is a low-pressure system, it seems quite likely we will experience more cyclones further down the coast in the future.