Tropical Cyclone Blanche has just developed in the Joseph-Bonaparte Gulf, bringing flooding rains and gale force winds.

Point Fawcett at Cape Fourcroy on the western edge of the Tiwi Islands has recorded 384mm of rain in the 24 hours since 9am yesterday. This has smashed the previous daily record of 265mm set on 16th February 2011 in 46 years of records. At 9am CST today, Point Fawcett also recorded a 91km/hr wind gust with sustained winds of 60km/hr.

Heavy rain also fell for Point Stuart (78mm), Pirlangimpi (75mm) and Dum In Mirrie (70mm).

Darwin has recorded 55mm of rain since 9am yesterday with sustained winds of 30km/hr or more between 5:30am and 9:30am this morning. The worst conditions occurred when a squally storm passed overhead bringing 6mm in 6 minutes and gusts of 60km/hr. Darwin Harbour also copped sustained winds of 50km/hr or more with 67km/h gusts between 6:00am and 8:30am this morning.

Windy and rainy conditions are to last through the afternoon and begin to ease into the evening and tomorrow morning for Darwin and the Tiwi Islands. 

This system is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 system before making landfall on the Kimberley Coast in the late morning on Monday. A warning for storm force winds (sustained winds up to 120km/h, gusts up to 165km/h) is current for the Beagle Bonaparte Coast and North Kimberley Coast on Monday. Widespread rainfall of 80-200mm is likely across these regions with falls of 300mm possible for areas on the western side of the Gulf.

To stay up to date with the latest information about the tropical low/cyclone visit http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDD65011.shtml

– By Joel Pippard, Weatherzone