The La Nina weather pattern responsible for days of torrential rain, high winds and flooding on the east coast could fuel damaging tropical cyclones this summer.
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Cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April and the Bureau of Meteorology's National Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane will monitor storm activity across Australia's north 24-hours a day.
"Fraser Island is a reminder that bushfires are still a risk, but the advice from the Bureau is that, fuelled by a strong La Nina event, tropical cyclones could present the greatest danger this summer," Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said on a visit to the centre on Wednesday.
"They can have a devastating impact, particularly if they make landfall in a heavily populated region or an area vulnerable to storm surge and flooding."
Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Federal Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud said the Bureau made it clear in August that Australia was going into a La Nina event.
"That means that we're going to have earlier cyclones, more cyclones, more severe cyclones, and that feeds into also wetter weather, more moisture," he said.
The Brisbane centre will work in collaboration with the Bureau's Perth Cyclone Warning Centre.
Bureau Meteorologist Laura Boekel said cyclones can follow erratic paths and small variations in the atmosphere and ocean surface temperature can result in large changes to the track or intensity.
"The Bureau's team of dedicated cyclone meteorologists use state-of-the-art technology and modelling capabilities to closely monitor atmospheric factors which guide the speed and direction of the cyclone's movement," she said.
Australian Associated Press
