Cyclone Pancho Takes Aim on Australia

Cyclone Pancho can be seen spinning clockwise across the Indian Ocean toward Australia's northwestern tip.

An area of disturbed weather just south of Sumatra formed into Cyclone Pancho and gradually strengthened to Category 2 force on the Saffir-Simpson scale by Wednesday morning local time.

A stream of moisture sheering off the cyclone brought locally heavy rains to parts of northwestern Australia, with the city of Learmonth receiving 5 inches (129 mm) of rain and Onslow being drenched with over 6.5 inches (167 mm) as of Thursday morning.

As the storm approached Western Australia late in the week, oil company executives warned that offshore operations may have to be suspended if Pancho continued on its southeastward course.

Woodside Petroleum Ltd., which operates a liquefied natural gas project as well as some major oil fields off northwest Australia, told Reuters it was keeping a close eye on the storm, but was continuing normal operations at all fields for now.

Tropical cyclones typically menace oil facilities off northwestern Australia between November and April before tropical storm activity makes its annual shift north of the Equator in time for the Northern Hemisphere hurricane and typhoon seasons.

Cyclone Pancho Track

Satellite Loop: University of Wisconsin
Digg This