page_title: Cyclone Steve
section_title: Western Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Steve / Impact / Western Australia
caption_attribution_description: This image was captured by the TRMM satellite on March 6, 2000 at 0553 UTC. Cyclone Steve was located near the west coast of Australia with maximum sustained winds of 60 knots and a minimum pressure of 975 mb.
context_page_description: Tropical Cyclone Steve was a tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from 27 February 2000 until 11 March 2000. Cyclone Steve was noted for its longevity and traversal of northern and western Australia. It impacted on regions of northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia before clearing to the south of the continent. Steve is the first known Australian cyclone to make four distinct landfalls in the country.
context_section_description: Near gale-force winds were experienced at Port Hedland for a period of about 17 hours beginning at midnight AWST on 5 March. The peak hourly average wind speed recorded was 72 km/h (45 mph) and the maximum gust recorded was 104 km/h (65 mph) (between 8 and 9 am AWST 6 March). Winds averaged near 70 km/h (43 mph) at Karratha in the early evening 6 March and the maximum gust recorded was 98 km/h (61 mph) at 6 pm AWST.
  The very heavy rainfall associated with Steve produced widespread flooding in northern parts of the state, including the Gascoyne region. Communities in the Kimberley region which remained isolated for more than two weeks required food and supply air-drops. Low-lying areas of the Carnarvon townsite were flooded when the Gascoyne River breached its banks. The Gascoyne River at Carnarvon reached its highest level since 1960.
  Parts of the western Pilbara and northern Gascoyne received totals that ranged from 200 to 300 mm. Several sites reported highest on record daily rainfall amounts including Mandora (281.0 mm on 6th) and Mount Narryer (152.0 mm on 10th). Carnarvon (100.6 mm on 9th) reported its highest March daily rainfall since records commenced at the airport in 1945. Rainfall ranging from 50 to 100 mm continued over inland parts extending in a south-easterly direction from the west Gascoyne to the south coast near Esperance. Flooding occurred in the Esperance area and number of roads and bridges were washed away. Salmon Gums Research Station recorded 91 mm of rain on 11 March.
caption: Cyclone Steve near its third landfall on 6 March
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