AbstractA comparative study of two cloud clusters in the north‐west of Australia highlights synoptic influences on tropical cyclogenesis. Although both clusters developed over land in the same region, the large‐scale flow was conducive to the subsequent development of one cluster into tropical cycloneEnidand suppressed the development of the other cluster. The non‐developing low was under strong upper easterlies from an upper tropospheric ridge. An upper trough in the subtropical westerlies later split the ridge, bringing light and divergent upper winds over the low‐level monsoonal trough. This facilitated the development and intensification of a low‐level cyclonic circulation, tropical cy