On Tuesday 4 January 2020, a tropical low formed off Western Australia’s northwest Kimberley coast, about 300 kilometres (km) north of Cape Leveque. The low was initially very slow-moving, travelling south-west and then stalling before moving east and developing into Tropical Cyclone Blake at 8.00am local time on 6 January, 120 km north-west of Cape Leveque. Blake then moved southwards at 15 - 20 kilometres per hour (km/h) and briefly moved over land on the Dampier Peninsula for approximately six hours on the evening of 6 January.

Broome Port recorded a peak wind gust of 102 km/h late in the afternoon of 6 January. This brief period over land weakened Blake although it remained a category 1 tropical cyclone and redeveloped after moving offshore.

In the 24 hours to 9.00am on 7 January, Derby recorded 152mm of rain, Broome recorded 148mm and several roads were cut by floodwaters. Early on 7 January, Blake moved back over water around 30 kilometres north of Broome and then travelled in a south-westerly direction parallel to the west Kimberley coast, crossing Eighty Mile Beach 17 km east of Wallal Downs at 11.00pm on 7 January.

The remnant tropical low tracked west and then south through the eastern Pilbara, producing heavy rainfall before dissipating on 10 January. Moderate to major flooding was recorded over numerous tributaries of the De Grey river catchment and there were widespread road closures. The Coongan River peaked at its highest level since 1988.

Tropical Cyclone Blake was the first tropical cyclone in the Australian region for the 2019-20 season.