Tropical low to form Indian Ocean cyclone

A tropical low in the Indian Ocean may develop into a cyclone and track towards the WA Pilbara coast later this week.

At 8am (WST) on Tuesday, the low was 920km north of Exmouth and was heading southwest at 16km/h with winds near the centre of 65km/h gusting to 95km/h.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the system will intensify to category one-strength by 8am on Wednesday and to category two 12 hours later, when it will begin a slow turn towards the southeast.

It is not expected to affect the WA coast in the next 48 hours, the BOM says.