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.
Seasonal summary
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Systems
Severe Tropical Cyclone Emma
A Category 3 tropical cyclone, Emma struck Western Australia on 12 December 1984, as a Category 1 tropical 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. 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 scale according to the JTWC. Perth assessed it as a category 3 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 28 December.Tropical Cyclone Nigel
During the middle of January, an ill-defined tropical low formed within the Intertropical Convergence Zone, near the Cape York Peninsula and moved eastwards into the Coral Sea. Over the next few days, the system moved eastwards into the Coral Sea, before its circulation became better defined during 14 January. The system continued to move eastwards over the next couple of days, before the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 13P on 16 January. Later that day, as the system approached 160°E and the South Pacific basin, TCWC Brisbane reported that the low had become a tropical cyclone and named it Nigel. The newly named system subsequently moved out of the Australian region later that day, with 10-minute sustained winds of, which made it a Category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Nigel caused no damage while located within the Australian region, however, the system later caused significant impacts to Fiji and Vanuatu.Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette
Odette was a powerful cyclone. It lasted for 4 days.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
Jacob was a Category 3 system on the Australian scale.Tropical Cyclone Pierre
On 17 February the BoM reported that an ill-defined tropical low had developed within the intertropical convergence zone, near the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. The system became more defined over the next few days, as it moved out into the Coral Sea and slowly moved south-eastwards parallel to the Queensland coast. During 20 February TCWC Brisbane reported that the low had become a tropical cyclone and named it Pierre, while it was located about to the east of Cooktown. At around the same time, the JTWC initiated advisories and designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 26P, before they reported that Pierre had peaked as a tropical storm with 1-minute sustained winds of later that day.The system subsequently accelerated south-eastwards, before the BoM reported that Pierre had peaked as a Category 2 tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained winds of during 21 February. Later that day, the system made landfall in Shoalwater Bay and weakened below tropical cyclone intensity, before it moved back into the Coral Sea near Yeppoon. Pierre subsequently moved almost due eastwards, before it was last noted during 24 February as it moved out of the Australian region and into the South Pacific basin. As Pierre moved south-eastwards parallel to the Queensland coast, it produced high seas, gale-force winds, minor flooding and minimal damage.
Tropical Cyclone Rebecca
During the middle of February, a cloud mass persisted for several days in the Arafura sea, to the north of the Arnhem Land in northern Australia. During 20 February the BoM reported that the cloud mass had developed a surface circulation and classified it as a tropical low, while it was located around to the north of Galiwin'ku. During that day the system gradually intensified as it moved north-eastwards, before it gradually started to move south-eastwards and entered the Gulf of Carpentaria. During 21 February, the low continued to move south-eastwards and gradually intensify as it moved south-eastwards through the Gulf of Carpentaria, before TCWC Brisbane reported that it had become a tropical cyclone and named it Rebecca.The newly named system peaked during 22 February as a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, with 10-minute sustained winds of. Later that day, Rebecca made landfall on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula just to the north of Weipa and weakened into a tropical low, before it dissipated during 23 February about to the west of Cairns. The initial tropical low produced a moderate amount of rainfall over the Arnhem Land, with a 24-hour rainfall total of reported at Warruwi on 19 February. There was no significant damage associated with Rebecca in the Northern Territory, while some damage to trees was reported in Weipa.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirsty
Although powerful, Kirsty failed to make landfall.Severe Tropical Cyclone Lindsay
Cyclone Lindsay formed on 6 March 1985. The storm moved south-southeast reaching Category 3 status before making landfall near Broome, Western Australia.Severe Tropical Cyclone Sandy
Sandy formed on 19 March 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 24 March. Over the next days, Sandy moved into the Indian Ocean and dissipated on 3 April.Similar to Cyclone Kathy, the storm was not as intense as Kathy. Two trawlers were devastated by Sandy, where swells of were measured. Storm surges were measured at at Centre Island. Flooding was extensive along the southern gulf coast. A total of of rain recorded in the island during a four-day time span.
Tropical Cyclone Tanya
During 27 March, the BoM started to monitor a tropical low that had developed within the Intertropical Convergence Zone, about to the southeast of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Over the next couple of days, the system moved westwards and gradually developed further, before the JTWC initiated advisories on the low and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 32P during 29 March. The BoM subsequently reported that the system had developed into a tropical cyclone and named it Tanya, as it continued to develop further and moved westwards towards the Cape York Peninsula. During 30 March, the BoM reported that Tanya had peaked with 10-minute sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of, which made it a category 2 tropical cyclone on the modern day Australian scale. At around the same time, the JTWC reported that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of.Tanya maintained its peak intensity for around 24 hours, before it started to weaken as it approached Cape York during 31 March. The system subsequently made landfall near Coen on the Cape York Peninsula, at around 14:00 AEST on 1 April and rapidly weakened below tropical cyclone intensity. Tanya's remnant tropical low was last noted by the BoM later that day as it moved towards the centre of Cape York. However, over the next couple of days, the JTWC continued to monitor Tanya's remnants as they moved across the Gulf of Carpentaria, before they made landfall and dissipated over the Arnhem Land during 4 April. Tanya caused some minor damage to vegetation, while there were no deaths or structural damage reported.