Cyclone tipped to form near Papua New Guinea and cross Cape York next week QUEENSLAND'S fourth cyclone of the season is expected to form on Monday in the Coral Sea. It is expected to develop near Papua New Guinea and move slowly west-southwest, likely crossing Cape York about Wednesday. Weather Bureau forecaster Michael Knepp said the prospects for the low developing into a cyclone on Monday were high. "It's too early to say what strength it will be but it doesn't look like it will be too strong," he said. It'll likely head west towards the Cape area but these things can change. The low late today was just south of the Papua New Guinea coast. Mr Knepp declined to say what the cyclone would be called if it formed up. Although it was late in the season, cyclones developing at this time of year were not unusual. Cyclone Monica formed on April 16 in 2006, the 17th and final storm of the 2005-06 cyclone season. It also came from the PNG region and crossed the Queensland coast near Lockhart River on Cape York three days later, with winds up to 250km/h. By Monday the latest low or cyclone is expected to be situated over the far northwest Coral Sea and still off the northeast Queensland coast. It will produce strong winds and rain north of about Cairns. It's expected to approach Cape York on Tuesday, with gale force winds, likely crossing the Cape on Wednesday while weakening. Much of the Cape and parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria have missed monsoon rains this season, with graziers desperate for rain.