[2][3] Audrey was first noted as a developing disturbance to the west of Moa Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria on January 7; however, the system formed a day prior.

Land interaction degraded Audrey; however, it remained below severe tropical cyclone intensity until it made a second landfall on Gangalidda on that day before weakening inland.

However, the present-day brown ocean effect prevented Audrey from weakening as it progressed through the eastern Northern Territory before degrading to a Category 1 tropical cyclone as it turned southeastwards, drifting through southern Queensland before entering New South Wales on the afternoon of January 14 as it slowed down.

Torrential rainfall and gusty winds up to 60 miles per hour were experienced in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales as Audrey takes a southward track.

[5] On January 11, the system passed near the Mornington Island, where the weather station in the area recorded a minimum barometric pressure of 984 hPa and a maximum wind speed of 100 km/h (65 mph) in ten-minute means.

[4][6] Ex-Audrey then accelerated on the next day before brushing the North Island of New Zealand with gale-force winds before dissipating on 00:00 UTC of January 16 as it entered the Southern Pacific Ocean.

[9] In the rural town of St George in Queensland, over 74-80 houses lost their roofs due to the strong winds, amounting to £100,000 worth of damages.

[9] Heavy rains also overflowed the Paroo River, also on an unknown date, submerging the town of Cunnamulla on floodwaters, killing over 7,000 sheep in the area.

[9][10] Several hundred people were instructed to evacuate in northwestern New South Wales on January 15 in three different towns, following the cyclone's exit to the sea as the Namoi River overflowed its banks.

[9][10] Over 700 individuals in Barraba were forced to leave their homes as the floodwaters rose to eight feet above the only flood level, and a third of the population of Manilla were evacuated since that day.

[9] On January 16, council bulldozers started to work, fixing the levees of some rivers throughout Queensland, particularly the town of Thargomindah to prevent more flooding.