THE annual wet season is expected to begin in Cairns this weekend as the monsoon trough moves south. 

The weather bureau warns there is a risk of road closures and river flooding today and tomorrow between Cairns and Cooktown, where the heaviest rain is expected.
As the wild weather sets in, emergency management authorities are warning people to be vigilant on the roads and get their homes in order.
"If it's flooded, forget it. Do not try to drive through floodwaters," EMQ area director Peter Ruddick said.
"The public should also start to clean out gutters at home and make sure there's no rubbish or other loose items lying around in the yard."
Monsoonal rain has lashed the northern end of Cape York and parts of the Gulf country for weeks already, and the first cyclone of the season could form today in the Gulf.
Forecasters are also watching a tropical low that may form in the Coral Sea early next week and develop into a weak cyclone moving southeast away from the coast.
"The monsoon trough is becoming very active and as a result we're seeing it push south into Cairns over the next couple of days," weather bureau duty forecaster Gordon Banks (pictured) said.
The heaviest rainfall is likely to be in the onshore areas north of Cairns initially, but could extend to southern areas as well this weekend.
"We will see the showers, isolated thunder storms and very heavy rainfall through the Cairns region later on Saturday and then possibly south towards Cardwell on Sunday."
The bureau said a tropical low that formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria this week had a slim chance of developing into a weak Category 1 cyclone before it makes landfall.
Mr Banks said the impact of that system would be heavy rainfall in the southeastern parts of the Gulf.
The bureau also expects a tropical low to form on the Coral Sea today, but it would move away from the coastline next week.

 

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