Cyclone Vern formed on 27 January from one of several low pressure centres within a trough that extended from the Cocos Islands eastward across northern Australia to Queensland.

Over the period of a couple days, the strong northwesterly monsoonal flow to the north of the trough interacted with the strengthening easterly winds of a high-pressure area moving into the Great Australian Bight.

Then, early on 31 January, while located about 250 km (155 mi) northwest of Broome, Vern took a sharp turn toward the southeast then south.

Inland, the system tracked southwestward then to the south again, causing flooding and minor damage, before dissipating on 3 February over the Pilbara.

Its forward momentum increased over the southeast Indian Ocean, and Alby was only an 85 mph (137 km/h) cyclone as it passed off the southwest coast of Australia on 4 April.