page_title: 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
hierarchical_section_title: 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
caption_attribution_description: English: This map shows the tracks of all tropical cyclones in the 2002-03 Australian region cyclone season. The points show the location of each storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the type of the storm. Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm typeTropical cycloneSubtropical cycloneExtratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance
context_page_description: The 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season included Cyclone Inigo, which tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999 as the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Australian basin. It began on 1 November 2002 and ended on 30 April 2003. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Australian region, which is defined as in the southern hemisphere between 90°E and 180°E. The season's ten tropical depressions existed within these dates, with the first, designated as Tropical Cyclone 07S, entering the basin on 27 December 2002. The last system, Cyclone Epi, dissipated on 6 June 2003. Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres: the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane and one in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
  Tropical cyclogenesis in the season began when a tropical low developed in the Arafura Sea on 5 January and last until 24 January, after meandering over northern and Western Australia.
context_section_description: The 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season included Cyclone Inigo, which tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999 as the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Australian basin. It began on 1 November 2002 and ended on 30 April 2003. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Australian region, which is defined as in the southern hemisphere between 90°E and 180°E. The season's ten tropical depressions existed within these dates, with the first, designated as Tropical Cyclone 07S, entering the basin on 27 December 2002. The last system, Cyclone Epi, dissipated on 6 June 2003. Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane and one in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
  Tropical cyclogenesis in the season began when a tropical low developed in the Arafura Sea on 5 January and last until 24 January, after meandering over northern and Western Australia. On 1 February, weakening Cyclone Beni entered the Australian region and brought severe flooding to Queensland, before dissipating on 5 February. Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona formed north of Western Australia on 3 February and later peaked as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Cyclone Graham developed offshore Western Australia on 24 February and made landfall in a rural area of that state on 28 February, producing flooding in the area. Tropical Cyclone Harriet existed offshore of Western Australia from 1 to 11 March.
  On 1 March, Cyclone Erica formed offshore Queensland and strengthened as it moved in a parabolic path, before leaving the Australian region on 12 March. Erica caused only minor damage in Queensland. Cyclone Craig originated offshore Northern Territory on 8 March. The system subsequently struck the territory and eventually made another landfall in Queensland on 12 March, after crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria. Impact from Craig was generally minor. Cyclone Inigo formed on 30 March and caused severe impact in Indonesia, especially in Flores, Sumba, and West Timor. Inigo later deepened into the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Australian region, tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999. Inigo weakened significantly before striking Western Australia on 8 April and dissipating shortly thereafter. The final system, Tropical Cyclone Epi developed east of Papua New Guinea on 5 June and dissipated on the following day. Overall, the tropical cyclones of this season caused 60 deaths and about $12 million (2003 USD) in damage.
caption: Season summary map
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