PHYS.ORG •
2026-03-19Cyclone Narelle: 'Compact,' dangerous and unusually predictableTropical Cyclone Narelle is currently a very dangerous Category 5 storm, sitting off the Far North Queensland Coast some 350 kilometers northeast of Cooktown. Formed in the Coral Sea, Narelle is packing a punch, with sustained winds near the center of 205km per hour and wind gusts to 285km per hour.
The Coral Sea recorded its hottest December (2025) and February (2026) on record. These record-breaking sea surface temperatures provided the "high-octane fuel" necessary for Narelle to rapidly intensify to Category 5.