12 hours Ago By Laine Clark
Mould, flood damage and a potentially deadly disease lurking in the soil. or signup to continue reading Sodden north Queensland locals already have plenty to think about as they clean up from record rainfalls that triggered widespread inundation and left two people dead. But another threat looms with another tropical cyclone brewing off the state's north coast.
A tropical low in the Coral Sea has a "high chance of developing into a cyclone" in the coming days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The system, lingering several hundred kilometres off Cairns, was likely to mature as soon as Sunday night, senior forecaster Angus Hines said on Saturday. This could bring gusty conditions, showers and increased swell but have little impact, probably before moving further out to sea, he said.
"But there's definitely still a chance that late in the week it could veer towards Queensland and bring greater impacts to parts of the coast. "Because of this ..
. this is one to monitor closely." Serious health fears have also been raised in the north as locals try to recover from weeks of wet weather.
Three people have died in Townsville from a bacterial infection linked with heavy rain since floods hit the region in February. Two others died from melioidosis in Townsville in January, with another four deaths and more than 40 cases recorded further north in Cairns to date in 2025. Locals have been asked to cover up and wear protective clothing as they clean up, with the wet season disease spread through contact with contaminated water, soil and air.
Five cases of mosquito-borne dengue virus have also been identified in two Townsville clusters. Mould is set to pose another health issue with infestations in households across the north since the wet weather, exacerbating asthma and allergies. "Breathing in mould can irritate a person's airways or trigger an allergic response," Asthma Australia chief executive Kate Miranda said.
"Both types of reactions can lead to an asthma attack. Mould can also cause a range of other health problems if sensitive or allergic to it." Black mould may pose a problem for flood-hit residents tempted to retrieve sodden belongings, with the fungus set to thrive in the humid north causing sneezing, coughing, congestion and eye irritation.
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