Cyclone Willy to intensify over weekend

PERTH - Severe Tropical Cyclone Willy is expected to continue to intensify as it hovers off the coast of Western Australia over the next 48 hours, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.

Willy -- twice the size of Cyclone Ingrid, which has menaced far north Queensland for more than a week -- is currently a category three system.

Meteorologist Joe Courtney, of WA's Cyclone Warning Centre, said Willy would strengthen as it continued moving south-west.

Latest co-ordinates placed it 630km north of Exmouth, on the Gascoyne coastline.

It is roughly tracking the coastline at 19kmh, but may change direction on Monday or Tuesday.

"It will be quite impressive because it is a large system and it is continuing to deepen," Mr Courtney said today.

"There is some degree of uncertainty about next week.

"It may well stay off the coast and gradually weaken - there is a little chance it may actually approach the coast come Tuesday, but that's a few days away in cyclone terms."

There were no current warnings regarding Severe Tropical Cyclone Willy, but large swells were expected to be recorded along the central and western Pilbara coastlines in coming days.

The bureau estimates Willy is producing winds of between 170-220kmh.

- AAP