2025–26 Australian region cyclone season
The 2025–26 Australian region cyclone season is an ongoing weather event within the southern hemisphere. The season officially started on 1 November 2025 and will end on 30 April 2026, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by one of the three tropical cyclone warning centres for the region which are operated by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, National Weather Service of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and the Fiji Meteorological Service will also monitor the basin during the season.
Season summary
The Australian region has seen an unusually active start to the season, with six named systems forming or entering Australia's western region by 6 January, making it the most active in the region to this point since the 1973-74 season.The season began with a tropical low in TCWC Jakarta's area of responsibility on 15 July. It was the first July tropical low in the Australian region since 2022. It moved into the South-West Indian Ocean a day later. Then came a tropical low on 2 August, which dissipated on 5 August. Another tropical low formed on 9 September, meandering around the ocean, and dissipated on 12 September. On 19 October, yet another low formed, but it did not strengthen and it dissipated on 22 October. All three storms were in the TCWC Jakarta’s responsibility. A tropical low formed on 14 November near Indonesia, but dissipated three days later without affecting land. The first tropical cyclone of the season, Fina, formed in the Timor Sea on 18 November.
Systems
Tropical Low 01
On 15 July, a low-pressure area that had developed out of an equatorial trough which interacted with the Madden-Julian Oscillation gained better characteristics, thus it was noted as the first tropical low, in the area of responsibility of TCWC Jakarta. It was the first July tropical low in the Australian region since 2022. As the system slowly intensified in an area of warm SSTs offset by high wind shear, a TCFA was issued by the JTWC, shortly before the system exited into the South-West Indian Ocean basin on 16 July, where it was designated Tropical Depression 01 by MFR.Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina
On 15 November, the Bureau of Meteorology started tracking a low-pressure system near the Timor Sea and designated it as 02U. On 18 November, the system developed stronger convection and thunderstorm activity. It intensified into Tropical Cyclone Fina on the same day and remained a compact system. On 19 November, Fina intensified into a Category 2 cyclone amid warm sea surface temperatures. A cyclone warning was issued from the Coburg Peninsula to Warruwi, and a cyclone watch was issued for the Tiwi Islands, Maningrida, and Milingimbi Island. Curved banding was visible early on 20 November as Fina began moving south towards the Top End. Fina weakened later that day as it continued moving south due to wind shear, and its convection decreased. It slightly re-intensified that evening as it moved towards Darwin. Fina made landfall on the Coburg Peninsula on 21 November and further intensified as it moved into the Van Diemen Gulf. Early on 22 November, Fina strengthened into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Fina made its second landfall on Melville Island that morning, with an eye being visible on satellite imagery. The cyclone slightly weakened but maintained category 3 intensity that afternoon as it emerged into the Timor Sea, and its eye became less defined following the interaction with land. On 23 November, Fina strengthened into a category 4 cyclone, with a clearly visible eyewall persisting on radar imagery and a minimum central pressure of.On 19 November, a cyclone warning was issued from the Cobourg Peninsula to Warruwi, and a cyclone watch was issued for the Tiwi Islands, Maningrida, and Milingimbi Island. On 1:09 am ACST on Friday 21 November 2025, the Northern Territory Emergency Service issued cyclone warnings for part of the Northern Territory. The Darwin Airport closed at 9 AM ACST in preparation for the cyclone, and shelves were empty in some stores across Darwin as major supermarkets were advised to close across the region. The local hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital, issued a code brown to streamline emergency management systems. The strongest wind gusts were recorded were around 109 km/h at Crocker Island Airport on 21 November, and 107 km/h in 22 November. The most notable 24-hour rainfall recorded from Fina was at Middle Point, near Darwin, which would record 430 millilitres in the 24 hours to the morning of 23 November. Across 22 and 23 November, the system caused several significant power outages, including large parts of Darwin, Palmerston, and the Tiwi Islands, affecting at least 19,500 customers. Roads were flooded, and properties were damaged. Hundreds of trees fell across Darwin, damaging cars and homes, while parts of the Royal Darwin Hospital's external wall collapsed.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Bakung
On 10 December, a low pressure area formed to the south of the city of Jakarta. Although the system was outside its area of responsibility at the time, the Bureau of Meteorology designated it Tropical Low 05U. 05U then began moving southwest, and began to consolidate and wrap deep convection near its center, and was named Bakung by TCWC Jakarta on 12 December. The cyclone developed rapidly in an environment of low wind shear, reaching its peak intensity as a category 4 on 14 December, and had moved into the Australian area of responsibility. High wind shear led to a weakening of the system during 15–16 December, before easing and allowing Bakung to intensify to a category 3 early 17 December. The wind shear then rapidly increased, weakening the system to a tropical low before dissipating on 18 December.[|Tropical Cyclone Grant]
On 16 December, a tropical disturbance formed 600km south-southwest of Surabaya, Indonesia. 6 days later, on 17 December, the storm started gradually strengthening and tracking west at about 1.4km/h. At 3am UTC on 19 December, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center put out a warning and forecast estimating the storm would become a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. On 25 December, the cyclone passed to the north of the Cocos Islands. When Grant passed by the Cocos Islands, it brought heavy rainfall and wind. By 27 December, Grant had exited the basin.Severe Tropical Cyclone Hayley
On 26 December, a tropical low formed northwest of Broome, which was designated 08U by the Bureau of Meteorology. JTWC upgraded it to a tropical cyclone on 29 December, and the BOM followed suit later that day, naming it Hayley. Soon after being named, it began a period of rapid intensification, reaching Category 4 strength early on 30 December, with an eye feature becoming apparent. This was short-lived, however, as increasing shear obscured the eye and initiated weakening as the system approached the northwestern Kimberly Coast. Hayley crossed the Dampier Peninsula south of Lombadina on 30 December. After crossing King Sound, Hayley moved inland over Western Australia once again and weakened below tropical cyclone strength early on 31 December. Later that day, Hayley dissipated.Category 2 strength winds of were recorded when Hayley cut across the Dampier Peninsula.
Tropical Cyclone Iggy
On 29 December 2025, a tropical low developed southwest of Java, Indonesia. Two days later the Australian scale turned Iggy into a category 1 cyclone. On 1 January 2026, 8am AWST and weakened below cyclone strength on 2 January at 2am., Iggy briefly developed into a category 1 cyclone 300km south of Christmas Island. The cyclone was compact, with a gale force wind radius reaching only 70 km. It produced heavy rainfall, totalling 151.2mm between 9 am 30 December and 9 am 1 January. The system had no reported impacts on the island.Severe Tropical Cyclone Jenna
On 5 January, Jenna developed into a category 1 system to the east of the Cocos Islands, with the territory experiencing gale force winds. While forecast to pass the islands as a tropical low, the storm rapidly intensified to category 2 strength. Residents have reported minor flooding and downed trees. It was the second cyclone to affect the islands in less than two weeks, after Tropical Cyclone Grant. The system dropped below category 1 strength by 8 January, 2pm AWST.Tropical Cyclone Koji
On 7 January, a broad monsoon depression formed in the Coral Sea, and was designated Tropical Low 12U. The following day, the Bureau of Meteorology gave the system a moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone, and issued severe weather and flooding warnings for northeast Queensland. On 10 January, gales began to wrap around the low, and the BoM assigned the name Koji to the cyclone, with Willis Island recording storm force winds, gusting to 133km/h. Koji quickly weakened before moving ashore, degenerating into a remnant system on the morning of 11 January while moving ashore on the Queensland coast between Ayr and Bowen.In preparation for the system, the City of Townsville conducted controlled releases of water from the Ross River Dam to reduce the flood risk. A major flood warning was issued for the Pioneer River in Mirani. More than 22,000 houses in the Mackay and Whitsunday Regions lost electricity. Several downed fences, trees and powerlines were reported. One woman and her children were rescued after their car was trapped in floodwaters. Rough seas caused several boats to break free of their anchorages. Two men and five children were rescued from their flooded home. A man was rescued after he was swept away by an overflowing river. Wind gusts of 117 km/h were reported on Hamilton Island. Several locations recorded very high 48 hour rainfall totals, including 601mm observed at Mount William, and several locations in the Pioneer River catchment recording 24 hour totals in excess of 350mm.
Several rivers experienced major flooding, including the Pioneer, Isaac, Mackenzie, Fitzroy, Flinders and Georgina. Towns that sustained major damage included Clermont, which saw up to 60 homes affected, and Eungella, which received severe damage to roads and was unable to receive food or medical supplies. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli stated that over 50,000 cattle were lost to the event, and damage assessments in the aftermath were not feasible for many people. Flooded roads left more than 200 residents isolated. Several rain gauges failed during the flooding, with Crisafulli calling for more investment in rain gauges.