NORTH Queensland is on high alert with an increasing prospect of a cyclone developing later this week.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Coral Sea will be increased from a low (25 percent) to moderate (50pc) chance of development on Saturday.

BOM’s Queensland regional director Bruce Gunn said a low-pressure system southeast of Papua New Guinea is forecast to develop, drifting slowly southwest.

“While it may have been a slow start to the season, February and March are the peak months for tropical cyclone activity in the Eastern Region and Coral Sea, with conditions becoming more favourable for development from Saturday onwards,” Mr Gunn said.

“It’s too early to speculate about the cyclone’s intensity, forecast path and where it will make landfall, however we will get a clearer picture in the coming days,” he said.

Communities in North Queensland should begin their preparations now, stay tuned for the official forecasts and warnings from the Bureau and follow the advice of local emergency services, he said.

There have been three tropical cyclones already in northern Australian this season, Yvette in December, Alfred in February and Blanche in March.

If a cyclone does form, it will be named Tropical #CycloneCaleb.

The last tropical cyclone to cross the Queensland coast was Tropical Cyclone Nathan which crossed near Cape Flattery, north of Cooktown as a Category 4 system on 20 March, 2015.

• Readers can follow the tropical low’s development in coming days via the BOM website www.bom.gov.au, or for more information go to: www.bom.gov.au/cyclone