Puneet Varma (Editor)

1984–85 Australian region cyclone season

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First system formed
  
3 December 1984

Name
  
Kristy

Tropical cyclones
  
18

Last system dissipated
  
15 April 1985

Tropical lows
  
20

Severe tropical cyclones
  
11

1984–85 Australian region cyclone season

The 1984–85 Australian region cyclone season was one of the most active seasons on record. It officially started on 1 November 1984, and officially ended on 30 April 1985.

Contents

Severe Tropical Cyclone Emma

A Category 3 cyclone, Emma struck Western Australia on December 12, 1984, as a Category 1 cyclone.

Tropical Storm 04S

Due to its minimal intensity, 04S was designated only as a tropical storm strength cyclone by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). The storm remained unnamed by the warning center in Darwin.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Frank

Tropical Cyclone Frank was a significant tropical cyclone which formed off the western coast of Australia. It peaked as a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale according to the JTWC. Perth assessed it as a category 4 on the Australian scale. After it turned to the south-east on 25 December, it made landfall as a Category 2 two days later near Port Hedland, Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Monica

Monica peaked as a category 2 storm, tracking roughly south-eastward, passing into the South Pacific basin on December 28.

Tropical Cyclone Nigel

The precursor low to Cyclone Nigel formed as an ill defined low, within the intertropical convergence zone near the Cape York Peninsula during January 1985. Over the next several days the system gradually moved eastwards into the Coral Sea, before the BoM reported that a recognizable circulation had developed during January 14. Over the next two days the low moved eastwards and slowly developed further, before the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 13P early on January 16. Later that day the BoM named the system Nigel as it became equivalent to a modern-day category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and moved out of the Australian region into the South Pacific basin.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette

Odette was a powerful cyclone.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gertie

Gertie made landfall in Western Australia before dissipating.

Tropical Low 18P

This system remained weak.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hubert

Hubert had major differences in peak intensity from BOM and JTWC, but did not touch land.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Isobel

Isobel failed to affect land.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jacob

Jacoub was a Category 4 system on the Australian scale.

Tropical Depression 24S

This depression failed to intensify.

Tropical Cyclone Pierre

Pierre brushed Queensland.

Tropical Cyclone Rebecca

Rebecca made landfall in Queensland on February 22, 1985, as a Category 1 storm.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirsty

Although powerful, Kirsty failed to affect land.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Lindsay

Cyclone Lindsay formed on March 6, 1985. The storm moved south-southeast reaching Category 4 status before making landfall near Broome, Western Australia.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sandy

Sandy formed on March 19 in the Gulf of Carpentaria and strengthened rapidly into a Category 4 cyclone, before it made landfall near Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands as a Category 2 cyclone on March 24. Over the next days, Sandy moved into the Indian Ocean and dissipated on April 3.

Similar to Cyclone Kathy, the storm was not as intense as Kathy. Two trawlers were devastated by Sandy, where swells of 12 m (39 ft) were measured. Storm surges were measured at 3 to 3.5 metres (9.8 to 11.5 ft) at Centre Island. Flooding was extensive along the southern gulf coast. A total of 860 mm (35 in) of rain recorded in the island during a four-day time span.

Tropical Cyclone Tanya

Tanya hit Australia as a tropical cyclone.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Margot

Cyclone Margot was a tropical cyclone that stayed out to sea during its entire duration. It was first identified on April 10, off the coast of Sunda Strait. Margot then traveled to the southwest during April 12, gradually intensifying to a tropical cyclone. In the noon hours of April 13, it began to move to the southeast, under the influence of an intense high pressure area to the south. The cyclone reached a peak intensity on April 14, as a category four cyclone using the Australian scale, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). This intensity was based on satellite estimates, but the strongest report was from a ship eighteen hours earlier. After peak intensity Margot gradually weakened up until the 19, when it briefly underwent intensification, and turned west. This was short lived however, as dry, easterly low-level winds and wind shear began to influence the cyclone. Margot began to rapidly weaken and move in an easterly direction on April 20. On the 21 Margot had become a remnant low after completing a figure-eight path. On the 25 the remnant low was absorbed by a broad low pressure system located in the northeast Indian Ocean.

Tropical Cyclone Gretel

Cyclone Gretel was a tropical cyclone that formed in the Arafura Sea late on April 12, 1985, just east of Croker Island, off the Northern Territory coast. Moving in a west-southwest direction, it crossed the Cobourg Peninsula into the Van Diemen Gulf, where it intensified to Category 2 and reached its lowest pressure of 984 hPa. Moving south-west, the eye of the storm passed over Darwin, Australia, early on April 14, causing extensive tree damage and flooding to the area but no reported loss of life. It continued moving in a south-southwest direction, weakening to a low pressure system near the Victoria River mouth late that evening. The total estimated damages was $3.5 million.

References

1984–85 Australian region cyclone season Wikipedia