Tropical Cyclone Names Tropical Cyclone Names Notes Introduction This page provides a listing of 104 names that are used for tropical cyclones in the Australian Region. There is a single list of names that are used by all of the Bureau of Meteorology Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWC). This single list was introduced for the start of the 2008/09 season, replacing the three lists that existed previously. The name of a new tropical cyclone is usually selected from this list of names. If a named cyclone moves into the Australian region from another country's zone of responsibility, the name assigned by that other country will be retained. The names are normally chosen in sequence, when the list is exhausted, we return to the start of the list.

Names First name for the 2016-17 season is highlighted Australian Region Names (Pronunciation in brackets) A * Cyclone names marked for replacement Guide to vowel sounds in this table: ei - "rain", ai - "bite", ee - "sheep", oh - "flow", ah - "bar", aw - "more", oi - "joy", a - "bat", oo - "zoo", uh - "cup", e - "net", i - "hill", o - "hot", ie - "ear", ahng - "hung", ur - "turn". US-based site with listings of names from regions elsewhere in the world. Requests by the public for tropical cyclone names Important Note: All cyclone names are submitted to the World Meteorological Organization Regional Tropical Cyclone Committee for the SE Pacific for final approval. This committee can (and often does) reject or adjust names that are submitted to it and may substitute their own name.

The reason for this decision may be: Ambiguity or difficulty of pronunciation Preference of a more common spelling Similarity to other names on the Australian or other country’s list Similarity to the name of a recent cyclones Inappropriate meaning of the name as a word in another language of the Region The Bureau of Meteorology receives many requests from the public to name Tropical Cyclones after themselves, friends, etc. The Bureau is unable to grant all these requests as they far out-number the number of Tropical Cyclones that occur in the Australian region. The Bureau will only accept requests received in writing (not e-mail). The request cannot be immediately granted but the name will be added to a supplementary list. When a name is retired of similar gender and initial, a name can be included from this supplementary list (subject to checks to ensure it is not on the Southern Hemisphere retired name list or offensive in any of the languages of our international neighbours.) Due to popular demand some letters in the supplementary list have at least two names listed for a particular gender.

The following will therefore be CLOSED to new requests until further notice: Male: A, B, F, J, R, S, T, WXYZ Female: A, B, G, J, K, L, M, N, PQ, R, S, T, WXYZ Note that it can take many decades for a suitable slot to become available, then a further 10-20 years for the names to cycle through, so it is likely to be well over 50 years before your requested name is allocated to a cyclone.

Tropical cyclone naming policy Tropical cyclone names in each list alternate male and female Names of cyclones that have already significantly affected the Australian region cannot be used again If two or more cyclones are occurring simultaneously, similar sounding names (eg June & Jane) are avoided to minimise confusion Names should not be capable of being construed to subject the Bureau to criticism or ridicule (eg naming a sequence of cyclones after politicians) Lists of names are coordinated with neighbouring meteorological services to avoid duplication Notes When a significant cyclone affects Australia (like TC Tracy in 1974 or TC Larry in 2006), the name is "retired" and replaced in the list with a name of similar initial and gender. A name may be skipped if it is not deemed appropriate when it is due to be used (eg it is the same as the name of a public figure who is in the news for a sensitive or controversial reason) A name may be skipped if a similarly named cyclone is active in the area. Cyclones may not seem to follow alphabetical sequence as cyclones named in an adjoining area move into the Australian region.

Cyclones moving westwards across the Indian Ocean are usually renamed by the TCWC at La Reunion, when they move out of Australia's zone of responsibility. Otherwise cyclones retain their name throughout their existence. Sometimes a decayed cyclone will re-generate (eg after crossing land) and will usually retain the name it had before it weakened. References & Guides Tropical Cyclone Names Tropical Cyclone Names Victor Wanda Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms had been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization . The six lists above are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2016 list will be used again in 2022. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO committee (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Several names have been retired since the lists were created.

Here is more information the history of naming tropical cyclones and retired names . If a storm forms in the off-season, it will take the next name in the list based on the current calendar date. For example, if a tropical cyclone formed on December 28th, it would take the name from the previous season's list of names. If a storm formed in February, it would be named from the subsequent season's list of names. In the event that more than twenty-one named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin in a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet . Marine Safety Marine Safety NWS Hurricane Preparedness Week | Hazards | Watches & Warnings | Be Ready | Marine Safety Hurricanes have been the cause of many maritime disasters and unfortunately, there is no single rule of thumb that can be used by mariners to ensure safe separation from a hurricane at sea. Instead, constant monitoring of hurricane potential & continual risk analysis when used with some fundamental guidelines become the basic tools to minimize a hurricane's impact to vessels at sea or in port. Today, even as our understanding of hurricanes increases, there is still much error inherent in forecasting the movement & intensity of these systems.

Through the use of a recurring risk analysis, mariners can minimize potential impacts of a hurricane encounter. Coincidental with the fact that NHC issues 4 Tropical Cyclone Forecast/Advisory Messages (TCM) per day when a system is active, the risk analysis needs to be done in conjunction with each new TCM to ensure that the sailor is evaluating the latest information to make navigation decisions. This risk analysis includes a number of extremely important factors needed to make sound decisions & ultimately remain clear of hurricanes either at sea or in-port. History of Regional Hurricane Tracks There are climatologically favored regions/tracks for hurricane development/movement in the North Atlantic. Both are important to vessels at sea or in port in order to begin assessing risks involved during the hurricane season. Knowledge of hurricane climatology is the first significant aids in helping mariners avoid these systems in the North Atlantic. LEARN MORE Impact of Ocean Currents & Warm Water Certain areas in the basin support rapid intensification of hurricanes.

Understanding the contribution that warm water plays in the growth of a hurricane, it is easy to appreciate that ocean regions with high sea-surface temperatures (greater than 79° F or 26° C) are often dangerous locations for mariners to be found as a hurricane threatens. Knowing local sea-surface temperatures (SST) & location of ocean currents are also important factors for the mariner. The two most prominent areas to possess this danger are the Gulf of Mexico & the Gulf Stream. A second impact that the Gulf Stream places on vessels is enhanced sea states resulting from the interaction of ocean current with hurricane wind field. Winds of tropical storm or hurricane force opposing any ocean current can quickly create very steep, short period waves making navigation through these areas extremely dangerous and difficult. Knowledge of Inherent Hurricane Track/Intensity Errors Generally speaking, the smallest errors associated with hurricane track forecasts occur while a system is moving in a general west to west-northwest track, south of the Atlantic subtropical ridge. Conversely, the largest errors involved in hurricane forecast tracks occur during recurvature & beyond as systems first slow when starting to recurve, then typically accelerate northeast after recurvature.

Similarly, increased uncertainty in track forecasts often occurs when a system is in an area of little to no environmental steering, a situation tending to occur most often in the Western Caribbean Sea & Gulf of Mexico. By themselves, intensity errors can be quite large through the 72 hour forecast of the TCM. These errors are accentuated when a poor intensity forecasts is combined with the average track forecast errors occasionally resulting in even worse forecasts of the radius of tropical storm force winds associated with hurricanes, particularly at the 2 to 3 day range. Guidelines For Avoiding Hurricanes At Sea In order to help account for the inherent errors in hurricane forecasting, a few guidelines should be used by the mariner in order to limit the potential of a close encounter between ship & storm. 34 KT Rule For vessels at sea, avoiding the 34 KT wind field of a hurricane is paramount. 34 KT is chosen as the critical value because as wind speed increases to this speed, sea state development approaches critical levels resulting in rapidly decreasing limits to ship maneuverability.

It also deserves mention that the state of the sea outside of the radius of 34 KT winds can also be significant enough as to limit course & speed options available to the mariner and must also be considered when avoiding hurricanes. 1-2-3 Rule This is the single most important aid in accounting for hurricane forecast track errors (FTE). Understanding & use of this technique should be mandatory for any vessel operating near a hurricane. The rule is derived from the latest 10-year average FTE associated with hurricanes in the North Atlantic. Application of the rule requires information from the TCM and is extremely important to remaining clear of a hurricane at sea. See Marine Safety Rules of Thumb at right for details on applying this most important technique. The 1-2-3 rule establishes a minimum recommended distance to maintain from a hurricane in the Atlantic. Larger buffer zones should be established in situations with higher forecast uncertainty, limited crew experience, decreased vessel handling, or other factors set by the vessel master. The rule does not account for sudden & rapid intensification of hurricanes that could result in an outward expansion of the 34 KT wind field.

Also, the rule does not account for the typical expansion of the wind field as a system transitions from hurricane to extratropical gale/storm. Ship Versus Hurricane Track Analysis In the dynamic state of moving ships & hurricanes, recurring comparison of hurricane forecast track versus planned ship movement is mandatory. The continual monitoring of the latest official NHC forecasts compared to current or planned evasion options can greatly increase a mariner's confidence regarding vessel safety. Never Cross The "T" Never plan to cross the track (cross the "T") of a hurricane. Done out of respect for the negative effects that heavy weather places on vessel speed/handling, sudden accelerations in hurricane motion can ultimately place a vessel in conditions not originally expected thereby resulting in disaster. Adjustments to course & speed in order to remain clear of the danger area in a hurricane are the most prudent navigation decisions a mariner can make in these instances. Forecast Track Tendencies Comparison of the most recent NHC forecast track with forecast tracks from the past 24 hours can sometimes prove useful for determining a trend in the forecast motion of a hurricane.

For instance, a comparison of forecast tracks issued every 6 hours over the last 24 hours, may show a noticeable shift right or left (with respect to storm motion) in the forecast track of a hurricane. This information may provide some indication as to how the forecast & actual hurricane track are tending and provide more guidance in navigation planning for avoidance, particularly in the 2-3 day forecast range & beyond. Calculating Closest Point of Approach (CPA) The last item to complete in the at-sea risk analysis is comparison of CPA between current & possible evasion options. Over time, increases in CPA between vessel & hurricane based on current navigation decisions should increase the mariner's confidence in current avoidance plans. However, decreases in CPA should be dealt with using the utmost urgency. An immediate review of all evasion options combined with a detailed look into the latest official forecasts/discussions needs to be accomplished with a goal of establishing a new evasion course/speed option to once again increase CPA from the hurricane. Assessing Options Mariners must be cautioned never to leave themselves with only a single navigation option when attempting to avoid a hurricane.

Sea room to maneuver is not a significant factor when operating in the open waters of the North Atlantic, but becomes extremely important in the confined waters of the Western Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico. More often than not, early decisions to leave restricted maneuver areas are the most sensible choice. Port Specific Risk Analysis Considerations Vessels seeking shelter in port or considering movement toward or away from port need to consider all the factors discussed above while acknowledging some other factors in order to finalize their risk analysis. Hurricane Approach To Port In general, hurricanes forecast to make a perpendicular landfall tend to have the smallest amount of FTE. Conversely, systems that are forecast to parallel the coast, as is often noted in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, tend to have larger track errors. Additionally, hurricanes that make landfall within 50-100 NM of a particular port tend to be more destructive than those that approach the port from over land or parallel the coast in the vicinity of the port. Also, ports located in the right front quadrant , based on direction of movement of hurricanes during landfall tend to have higher winds, seas, and storm surge.

Go & No Go Decisions To Leave Port The decision to leave port for hurricane avoidance must be made very early. Consideration to the latest safe departure time & likely avoidance routes must be balanced with a number of other factors. Most important of these is time versus distance. The risk of damage to a vessel at sea increases as the motion of the hurricane increases towards the maximum safe speed of the vessel attempting to leave port in advance of that system. When reviewing these time/distance considerations, mariners must include the effects "squally weather" associated with the rainbands in a hurricane will have on underway preparations & movement from port. Similarly, building wind & sea conditions found at sea, ahead of the hurricane, can also hamper vessel speed & maneuverability. Recognizing these time/distance problems, it cannot be emphasized enough that early decisions to leave port in attempt to avoid hurricanes are crucial. There have been a number of recorded instances where vessels have made the right decision to leave port in attempts to avoid hurricanes, yet were still either damaged/lost because that decision came too late. Berthing & Shelter Requirements Considerations to remain in port during hurricane passage must include an evaluation of the amount of protection afforded by the port.

The direction from which the strongest winds are forecast to blow along with the potential for storm surge must be factored in when deciding whether to seek haven pier side, at anchorage, or further inland to more protected anchorage. For instance, storm surge can pose significant problems to vessels tied pier side. Substantial rises in water level may place a vessel, previously in a protected wind/wave regime, into an area exposed to significantly greater winds & waves. Similarly, many port & dock facilities, particularly in the Caribbean region are fixed. Although sufficient to support the normally small tidal range of the region, they can quickly become submerged when exposed to even minimal hurricane related surge. Additionally, attention to the tying of lines is also of considerable importance. This is because the force on a moored vessel will nearly double for every 15 knots of wind from tropical storm force (34 KT) to hurricane force (64 KT). Therefore, a vessel tied to the pier under normal situations can quickly break from the pier in periods of higher winds causing substantial damage to itself or other vessels. RELATED WEBSITES MARINE SAFETY ACTIONS Review regional tropical cyclone climatology for area of expected operations.

Obtain latest Marine Prediction Center & Tropical Prediction Center analysis/forecast charts; including surface, upper level, & Sea State (wind/wave) charts. Locate & plot tropical (easterly) waves, disturbances, and tropical cyclones. If available, examine current satellite imagery. Obtain latest tropical cyclone advisory messages. Plot current/ forecast positions of all active/ suspected tropical cyclone activity. Plot completed tropical cyclone danger area to avoid chart. Determine possible courses of action (at least 2) for vessel to take in order to remain clear of the Danger. Evaluate current/nearby port & hurricane haven locations that may be considered for tropical cyclone avoidance. Calculate Closest Point of Approach (CPA) to tropical cyclone for all courses of action based on latest forecast/ advisory. Make decision on course of action to follow and execute. Continue to closely monitor tropical cyclone's progress and review the actions listed here when new meteorological analysis & forecast information becomes available.

1 - 100 mile error radius for 24hr forecast 2 - 200 mile error radius for 48hr forecast 3 - 300 mile error radius for 72hr forecast STEPS TO DETERMINE THE HURRICANE DANGER AREA Plot the initial and forecast hurricane positions on a navigation chart. Find the maximum radius of 34 KT winds at the initial, 24, 48, and 72 hour forecast times of the TCM. Apply the 1-2-3 rule to each of the radii at the 24, 48, and 72 hour forecast positions. Draw a circle around the hurricane initial position with radius equal to the maximum radius of 34 KT winds given in the TCM. Draw circles around the 24, 48, and 72 hour forecast positions of the hurricane using the respective radii found in step 3. Connect tangent lines to each circle constructed in steps 3 and 4 along both sides of the hurricane track. The area enclosed by these tangent lines is known as the danger area of the hurricane and must be avoided as a vessel attempts to navigate in the vicinity of the hurricane.

VIEW THE DIAGRAM (400kb(PDF)) SIGNIFICANT ATLANTIC HURRICANE ENCOUNTERS WITH SHIPS Western Cuba & Straits of Florida Oct 1644 Thirteen ships carrying 1500 people encounter the hurricane resulting in 10 ships sunk and many lives lost. Guadeloupe, Martinique 14-15 Aug 1666 Seventeen ships with 2000 troops under direction of the British Governor of Barbados set sail...only two are ever heard from afterwards. Jamaica 1 Aug 1781 Over 120 vessels were driven ashore, a large number of which are destroyed. Of the vessels lost, 30 are British men of war. Virgin Islands 13-16 Aug 1793 Reports of 28 of 42 slaves lost with the additional loss of some crew on board the BRISTOL. There are also indications of three slave-bearing vessels from Africa also lost in this hurricane. North Carolina & Virginia 2 Aug 1795 A fleet of eighteen Spanish ships, sailing from Havana to Spain are struck off Cape Hatteras. An undisclosed number of these ships are lost.

North Carolina 30 Oct 1862 Twenty-five Federal vessels leave Hampton Roads for the fleet about to attack Port Royal in South Carolina. The next day, fifty more vessels set sail. In the vicinity of Cape Hatteras, these vessels were all damaged with two of the steamers lost in a hurricane encounter. The Carolinas 8-19 Aug 1899 Fifty deaths occur in shipwrecks along coastal Carolina. The Central Atlantic 9 Oct 1913 Immigrant ship VOLTURNO, with 657 people aboard, burst into flames in a �wild gale at sea� halfway across the Atlantic....135 lives are lost Straits of Florida and Gulf of Mexico 9-14 Sep 1919 Over 500 people were lost on 10 ships that were either sunk or reported missing. New Jersey 7-8 Sep 1934 Liner MORRO CASTLE caught fire and was abandoned in poor weather preceding an approaching hurricane. 134 people died from burning, drowning and exposure. Western Atlantic 14-15 Sep 1944 The loss of five ships and 344 deaths are attributed to this hurricane.

Gulf of Honduras 27 Oct 1998 FANTOME encounters Hurricane MITCH with the loss of the vessel along with a crew of 31. Quick Links and Additional Resources Cyclone, hurricane, typhoon: different names, same phenomenon Cyclone, hurricane, typhoon: different names, same phenomenon Follow @rawstory They may have different names according to the region they hit, but typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones are all violent tropical storms that can generate 10 times as much energy as the Hiroshima atomic bomb. The typhoon that devastated the Philippines, wiping out entire towns with a death toll that could soar well over 10,000, is the Asian term for a low-pressure system that is called a hurricane in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific and a cyclone in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. But meteorologists use the term “tropical cyclone” when talking generally about these immensely powerful natural phenomena, which are divided into five categories according to the maximum sustained wind force and the scale of the potential damage they can inflict.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, which is now heading towards Vietnam, was a category 5 typhoon — the highest level — when it hit the Philippines, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 315 kilometres (196 miles) an hour, and gusts reaching 380 kilometres an hour, according to Japan’s meteorological agency. The winds are reported to be the strongest ever measured, and Haiyan could wrest the title of most powerful cyclone on record from Super Typhoon Tip, which ravaged Japan in 1979. The Philippines endures a seemingly never-ending onslaught of deadly typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters. Every year, some 20 super storms or typhoons hit the country, of the 80 or so that develop above tropical waters annually. Cyclones are formed from simple thunderstorms at certain times of the year when the sea temperature is more than 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) down to a depth of 60 metres (200 feet). Sucking up vast quantities of water, they often produce torrential rains and flooding resulting in major loss of life and property damage.

They also trigger large swells that move faster than the cyclone and are sometimes spotted up to 1,000 kilometres ahead of the powerful storm. The sea level can rise several metres. These powerful weather formations can measure between 500 and 1,000 kilometres in diameter and have a relatively calm “eye” at the centre. They weaken rapidly when they travel over land or colder ocean waters. Cyclones are closely monitored by satellites, and specialised centres around the world — in Miami, Tokyo, Honolulu and New Delhi — track the super storms’ trajectories under the coordination of the World Meteorological Organisation. Queensland Cyclones CYCLONES TO HAVE IMPACTED ON QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA FROM 1864 17 - 19 March, 1864. The first recorded in Queensland. Gales in Brisbane. Damage to stores, houses, signs trees and gardens blown away. Stone jetty at Cleveland washed away. Wind and rain damage at Toowoomba and Gladstone. 2 - 3 March, 1867. Gale winds at Bowen with buildings damaged. Boats smashed. Townsville hit with ever third building blown down.

26 - 28 April, 1867. Southeast Queensland flooded. Wharves covered in Brisbane. Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich suffer structural and tree damage. Bridge at Ipswich destroyed. 30 January, 1870. Floods and damage in Bowen. Clermont and Peak Downs flooded. 15 lives and thousands of sheep lost. 20 February, 1870. Nearly every house in Townsville damaged with some completely unroofed. Flooding and ships sunk. 24 February, 1875. Steamer Gothenberg wrecked off Cape Upstart near Ayr with 102 lives lost. 17 February, 1876. Severe gales at Townsville. 21 March, 1876. Heavy winds at Townsville. SS Banshee wrecked at Hinchinbrook Island with 17 people drowned. 8 March, 1878. Cairns suffers huge damages. Ships Louise, Merchant, Kate Conley and Hector Miss were sunk with no survivors. 2 February, 1882. Cardwell suffers considerable damage. 30 January, 1884.

Bowen township all unroofed. Heavy flooding to Mackay. 17 February, 1888. Cyclone hits east of Mackay. Ships and houses damaged. 11 March, 1890. Tropical cyclone hits Brisbane. River floods - 360mm in 24 hours. 24 March, 1890. Cyclone hits Townsville. Ravenswood has 431mm rain in 24 hours. 29 March, 1890. Ingham suffers damage from cyclone. 2 January, 1892. Brisbane suffers damage. 2 April 1892. Brisbane damaged. 21 January, 1893. Brisbane homes and trees blown down. 1 February, 1893. Tropical cyclone hits Yeppoon causing extreme damage. Severe floods in Ipswich and Brisbane with Indooroopilly railway bridge and Victoria bridge washed away. More than 12 deaths. 11 February, 1893. Small cyclone crosses near Bustard Heads causing further flooding in Brisbane. 17 February, 1893.

Cyclone hits Bundaberg. Floods from Rockhampton to Grafton, NSW. Mary River bridge in Maryborough washed away with 120 houses. Cyclone induced tornado hits Sandgate. 19 February, 1894. Tropical cyclones crosses east of Brisbane. 26 January, 1896. CYCLONE SIGMA. Hits Townsville causing damage and severe flooding in suburbs for around 5 kilometres. 17 drowned and a sailor killed. 4 February, 1898. CYCLONE ELINE. Considerable damage around Mackay. 5 March, 1899. CYCLONE MAHIMA. Crosses coast at Princess Charlotte Bay. 307 fatalities of Asian and Island origin. Over 100 Aborigines were swept out to sea. Over 150 ships were sunk. Storm surge at Barrow Point was 14.6 metres. On Flinders Island, porpoises were found 15.2 metres up on the cliffs. 9 March, 1903. CYCLONE LEONTA. Hurricane force winds hit Townsville.

The Townsville Hospital was wrecked and the brick Grammar School was destroyed. 10 persons died. 28 January, 1906. Cairns devastated. 19 January, 1907. Cooktown buildings severely damaged. 12 March, 1908. Widespread damage to buildings, trees, fences and telegraph lines near St Lawrence. 28 January, 1910. Heavy seas and tremendous gales at Cairns. 11 January, 1911. Tropical cyclone passes from the Gulf of Carpentaria INLAND and causes severe destruction at Marburg in south west Queensland. Areas suffer gale force winds. 10 February, 1911. Crops and buildings damaged at Port Douglas. 16 March, 1911. Port Douglas left with only 7 out of 57 houses standing. Mossman and Cairns also hit. 23 March, 1911. Cyclone wrecks Yongala east of Townsville with 120 lives lost. 7 April, 1912. Cairns and Innisfail have damage to structures with 40% of banana and sugar crops lost.

31 January, 1913. Cyclone crosses near Cairns. Damage and flooding also to Innisfail. 4 lives lost. 9 February, 1915. Bowen gets damaged. 10 December, 1915. Tropical cyclone his north of Mackay. 27 December, 1916. Whitsunday Island damaged. Flooding at Clermont causes loss of 62 lives. 15 December, 1917. Heavy rain and gales at Bowen. 21 January, 1918. Mackay hit by cyclone with almost every building damaged. A storm surge of 7.6 metres saw almost 3 metre waves breaking in the town centre. Huge flood at Rockhampton. 30 lives lost. 10 March, 1918. Of 3500 residents in Innisfail only 12 houses remained. Mission Beach to the Atherton Tableland suffered destruction. Almost 100 dead. 3 March, 1919. Cyclone crosses coast at Maryborough. Serious washouts. 3 February, 1920. Cyclone crosses north of Cairns.

Every house at Mt Molloy and Kuranda unroofed or destroyed. Widespread flooding and enormous cattle losses inland. 1 April, 1921. Tropical cyclone crosses Cape York sinking boats. Heavy flooding. 5 April, 1921. Bundaberg, Maryborough and Hervey Bay suffer structural damage. 28 March, 1923. Cape York and the Gulf have severe wind forces. 26 February, 1925. Damage to buildings at Cooktown and Mossman. 9 February, 1926. Cyclone crosses near Townsville. Floods in Herbert and Tully Rivers. 9 February, 1927. Tropical cyclone hits north of Cairns. Structural damage. 2 April, 1927. Severe cyclone east of Gold Coast. Highest recorded tides cause disruption to shipping. 14 February, 1928. Brisbane hit causing serious flooding with 5 people drowned. 23 & 29 February, 1929. Two cyclones. One at Townsville the other at Mossman. Flooding. 5 January, 1930.

Serious flooding after cyclone crosses at Princess Charlotte Bay. Luggers in Torres Strait are sunk. 20 January, 1930. Cyclone action over large part of the State finally crossing at Mossman. 6 deaths due to flooding. Huge stock losses. 28 January, 1930. East of Mackay. 1 - 8 February, 1931. Travels from Cooktown down to Hervey Bay causing statewide flooding. 19 January, 1932. Townsville hit. Flooding from Cairns to Mackay. 22 January, 1934. Cairns suffers damage and flooding. 1 February, 1934. This particular cyclone travelled from the Gulf to northern NSW causing widespread damage and flooding. There was a 1.16 metre storm surge recorded as the largest on record on the Moreton Bay tide gauge. 12 March, 1934. At sea many luggers and 75 lives lost as cyclone crossed coast near Cape Tribulation. 22 March, 1936. Seawards of Fraser Island. 16 March, 1937.

Tracked from Western Australia to south-east Queensland. Severe flooding at Bundaberg and Childers. 19 January, 1938. Gales at Bundaberg. 27 March, 1938. Hits Bowen. Floods from Mackay to Gold Coast. 27-29 January, 1939. Offshore between Rockhampton and Mackay. Flooding with stock losses. 6 March, 1939. Cyclone crosses near Cape Byron. 18 February, 1940. Crosses near Cardwell. Substantial wind damage in Townsville. 6 March, 1940. Crosses north of Cooktown. Flooding. 17 March, 1940. Cyclone causes flooding after hitting Mackay. 23 March, 1940. Crossed Cape York. Tremendous Gulf flooding. 7 April, 1940. Townsville and Ayr suffer damages costing $1 million (at 1940 value). 8 February, 1942. Crosses north of Rockhampton. 2 March, 1946.

Cairns to Townsville had damage with some loss of life. 4 April, 1946. East of Fraser Island causing flooding. 23 January, 1947. Cyclone crossed near Caloundra with heavy gales and high seas. Flooding. 2 dead. 10 February, 1947. Tropical cyclone crossed at Broadsound causing damage to infrastructure and some lives were lost. 7 January, 1948. Heavy floods between Cooktown and Cardwell as cyclone crosses Cape York. 28 January, 1948. Cyclone passes east of Brisbane with wind gusts up to 96 knots at Lord Howe Island. 24 March, 1948. Structural damage and erosion as cyclone passes over Fraser Island. 10 February, 1948. Extensive structural damage and widespread flooding when cyclone passes north of Cooktown. 2-3 March, 1949. 87 knots wind gusts at Rockhampton and Gladstone. 1500 houses severely damaged. This cyclone caused damage and flooding in 15 towns. 7 deaths. 15 January, 1950.

Cyclone near Cooktown with gales and floods in several areas. 16-19 January, 1950. Tracked from the Gulf to Sydney. 7 lives lost in NSW. 2 metre waves in Moreton Bay with houses evacuated at Sandgate. 27-28 February, 1950. Crossed over Gladstone to Hervey Bay. Floods down to Brisbane. 11 March, 1950. Crossed at Carmilla south of Mackay with structural damage and one death. 16 November, 1950. Tropical low crosses near Brisbane causing structural damage and one death. 19-24 January, 1951. Cyclone hits south east Gulf region. Major flooding to Burdekin. 25-30 January, 1951. Cyclone moves around Fraser Island. Extensive damage to boats and buildings with one life lost at Caloundra. 19 March, 1951. Maryborough hit. Heavy rains south-east Queensland. 7 February, 1954. Tropical cyclone crosses south of Townsville producing heavy flooding. 20 February, 1954.

Cyclone crosses at Coolangatta. Widespread structural damage from Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast. Boats left in treetops at Beachmere. Waves at Kirra put 2 metres of water on the highway picking up cars. 900 mm rainfall recorded in 24 hours. 26 people dead. 7 March, 1955. Widespread structural damage and flooding at Sarina. Lugger Barrier Princess lost with 8 people. 27 March, 1955. Cyclone hits Bundaberg causing structural damage. Induced tornado hits Yandina and record flooding in the Mary River. One death. 6 March, 1956. CYCLONE AGNES. Passed over Townsville. Widespread damage from Cairns to Mackay. Recorded wind gusts to 79 knots. 19 February, 1957. Travelled east coast from the far north to cross at Port Macquarie in NSW. 109 knot wind gust recorded at Willis Island. 20 February, 1958. Cyclone crossed the coast south of Ayr then moved back to sea. Heavy floods to Mackay with 3 lives lost.

1 April, 1958. Cyclone and 2 metre storm surge hit Bowen. Wind gusts over 98 knots. Considerable damage to houses and other buildings. Other areas hit by induced tornadoes. 20 January, 1959. Cyclone moved from the Gulf to cross between Cooktown and Cairns. Flooding. 21 January, 1959. CYCLONE BEATRICE. Moved south to cross near Lismore, NSW causing widespread flooding. 16 February, 1959. CYCLONE CONNIE. Severe wind damage at Ayr, Home Hill and Bowen where wind gusts up to 100 knots were recorded over a two hour period. Other damage in Mackay and Rockhampton. 1 January, 1963. CYCLONE ANNIE. Crossed at the Sunshine Coast with houses and crops damaged. 24 April, 1963. Cyclone stayed offshore but caused huge waves and erosion on south coast. 13-14 January, 1964. CYCLONE AUDREY.

Tracked from Gulf to Coffs Harbour causing extensive wind damage in the western areas such as St George (74 houses damaged) and Goondiwindi where over 50 buildings suffered. Glen Innes and Grafton, NSW also had wind damage. 15-16 April, 1964. CYCLONE GERTIE. Hits the Whitsunday Islands with heavy coastal rain. Floods. 6 December, 1964. CYCLONE FLORA. Innisfail to Cardwell reported damage. 30 January, 1965. CYCLONE JUDY. Near Innisfail causing floods south to Townsville. 28-30 January, 1967. CYCLONE DINAH. Severe damage at Heron Island then causing more destruction from Rockhampton to Grafton, NSW. Water knee deep in Hastings Street, Noosa from storm surge. 22 February, 1967. CYCLONE BARBARA. Wind damage from Coolangatta. Crossed at Lismore, NSW. 18 March, 1967. CYCLONE ELAINE.

Moved past the south coast causing flooding at Logan and Brisbane with considerable beach erosion in other areas. 2-4 April, 1967. CYCLONE GLENDA. Off shore of Brisbane. 16 metre waves near Gold Coast. 6 dead. 17 January, 1970. CYCLONE ADA. Passed through the Whitsunday Islands to hit Airlie Beach. Tourist resorts destroyed and 80% of buildings at Airlie Beach damaged. 14 lives lost. Floods around Bowen and Mackay. 16 February, 1971. CYCLONE GERTIE. Crossed at Cardwell with minimal damage. 17 February, 1971. CYCLONE DORA. Crossed the coast north of Brisbane at Redcliffe. Widespread structural damage with some flooding. 20-22 February, 1971. CYCLONE FIONA. Tracked from the Gulf to Rockhampton. Some damage to infrastructure. 24 December, 1971. CYCLONE ALTHEA. $50 million damage (at 1971 value) caused to Townsville.

90% of houses damaged or destroyed on Magnetic Island. 3.66 metre storm surge recorded just north of the area. 3 deaths. Hundreds of homes damaged (including over 200 Housing Commission homes). Tropical Cyclone Larry © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2006, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) used with permission Snakes and Sharks by Kylie Camp Major flooding in Queensland's north-west has led to sharks invading one rural property 80 kilometres inland. Locals from the region, 200 kilometres north of Mount Isa, say the area around the Leichhardt River is having its worst floods since 1964. Kylie Camp from Floraville Station says river levels that are normally 12 metres below the Leichhardt Falls are now 12 metres above that level. She says the record flooding has now given sharks access to the station. "I've never seen so many snakes in my life and also some sharks as well," she said. "We do see sharks sometimes below the waterfalls that are normally here, probably just trying to get out of the fast moving current into somewhere quieter.

"This is the biggest recorded flood here I think - it's the first time I've ever seen such a thing." Esther It started off a bit windy for a few hours then all of a sudden it picked up like in an instant. The winds were really strong and small bits of debris were flying around. Before we knew it, Larry had upgraded to Category 5. Trees were uprooted and bending over. We were sure that our windows were going to smash as the force of the winds against them were increasing. There was also a lot of rain and it was scary. We had only got the side of Larry so imagine what Innisfail got. Our hearts go out to them. It's a miracle that no-one died. Esther, Cairns, Australia Adrian We stocked up and prepared for a family night in the bathroom. As it happened Townsville got of very lightly and captured much needed rain. I feel there is a sting in the tail with a Cyclone Wati developing! Our thoughts are with those poor people in Innisfail.

Adrian, Townsville Nth Qld, Australia John We're just a little bit north of the swirly bit, we had been cut off for three days lest week because of torrential rains and floods, now it's the other way around, we have many friends down that way that we haven't heard from as yet but we are assured that there have been no fatalities. The fact that all out services have to come through that region is a little alarming though, thankfully we still have power, unlike last week! But, cyclone Wati is following close behind so the next 72 hours could be interesting. Hey, as they say up here... "hey, you wanted to live in the tropics!" John, Cooktown, Australia Tom Perry Myself and a couple of friends are backpacking currently up the East coast of Australia, we are currently stuck on Magnetic island which is a few hundred kilometres south of Innisfail but all ferries were stopped yesterday meaning we have to stay here for a few more nights. Even though we are still quite far away the wind and rain was pretty dramatic last night. We spent yesterday evening packing all loose equipment from the hostel away and then sheltering in our dorms. It was quite dramatic.

Tom Perry, Ashford, Kent Kirsty McCullough We have been spared the worst. Until about 10pm last night we were expecting to be within the worst of the zones but a last minute shift moved the cyclone far enough north to only give us rain and gales. But our blessing has been the curse of others with awful pictures and stories coming through on ABC local radio of the sheer devastation. Yesterday was very surreal - the real calm before the storm, the intense preparation and then the watching and waiting foe something so unknown yet so inevitable. Very weird 24 hours. Now watching Cyclone Wati which seems to be following in the wake of Larry. Kirsty McCullough, Townsville, Australia John Stevenson I live in Trinity beach, 30k north of cairns. It's 2pm and people are starting to get outside to clean up their gardens. In the northern suburbs we got off lightly with only a few road signs and trees down. I drove into cairns to see my daughter and the roads through the botanic gardens are like an obstacle course, with big trees and broken power lines everywhere.

I saw little structural damage other than car ports and fences but everybody's garden is deep in broken branches and leaves. We have been told it could be several days before full electricity supply is restored but all in all we seem, at least where I have been, to have got off lightly. John Stevenson, Cairns Australia Robert White and James King Our flight was forced to turn back today after reports of a massive cyclone in the Cairns area. We are both now stranded in Brisbane awaiting more news of the opportunity to travel up there. As soon as we get there we should be able to email some pictures of "The most devastating cyclone in decades" Robert White and James King, Banbury, England Dan My sister is staying in Cairns while travelling, she just rang to say that it is raining heavily and the roads are covered in water and it is extremely windy and there is debris flying around everywhere. You can hear the roof rattling on the phone and she says that rain is being driven in through the windows. Dan Murphy, UK How the Saffir-Simpson Scale for rating Cyclone Strength was devised The Saffir-Simpson scale was devised about 35 years ago by engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson.

At the time, Simpson directed the National Hurricane Center in Miami and Saffir ran his own engineering firm in neighboring Coral Gables. Simpson and Saffir both chuckled when asked about the recent fame of their rating scale. But they also were gratified that their brainchild had found its way into popular speech. "People are looking for yardsticks," Simpson said. "Our language has demonstrated the use of many expressions that started out to be used for one phenomenon, then were used to refer to many other things." Saffir said he's "very pleased that the public is aware of the scale and can see the difference between a Category One and a Category Five storm. That's extremely important." Planning Tool Saffir and Simpson created the scale to help local relief agencies and emergency management officials better prepare for approaching hurricanes. Until recently, the scale was mostly known to meteorologists and officials at emergency management and relief agencies. Simpson and Saffir each witnessed powerful hurricanes long before they devised the scale. Simpson watched a hurricane deliver a devastating blow to his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1919. Although he was only six years old at the time, he still has vivid memories of that catastrophe.

In the summer of 1947, Saffir, a New York City native, took a job as a county engineer in Miami. Soon after he arrived, a pair of hurricanes put much of South Florida under water. About 12 years later, Saffir had set up his own engineering firm when the United Nations commissioned him to write a report on providing low-cost housing in areas of the world that are subject to hurricanes. As he worked on the report, Saffir realized that there were only two ways of categorizing hurricanes—major and minor. "I worked up five scales [of hurricanes] based on a subjective description of the damage that could occur for each category," Saffir said. Cyclone Categories - note this scale is not used by the Bureau of Meterology in Australia Category One Wind speeds: 74 to 95 miles an hour (119 to 153 kilometers an hour) Barometric pressure: No lower than 28.94 inches, or 980 millibars Storm surge: 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) Likely damage: Minimal. No significant damage to buildings.

Damage will be mainly to unanchored mobile homes, trees, and shrubbery. There also will be some coastal flooding and minor damage to piers. Category Two Wind speeds: 96 to 110 miles an hour (154 to 177 kilometers an hour) Barometric pressure: 28.50 to 28.92 inches, or 965 to 979 millibars Storm surge: 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) Likely damage: Moderate. Damages to some roofs, doors and windows. Considerable damage to trees, shrubbery and mobile homes. Some flooding damages to piers and small craft. Some small craft may break their moorings. Category Three Wind speeds: 111 to 130 miles an hour (179 to 209 kilometers an hour) Barometric pressure: 27.91 to 28.47 inches, or 945 to 964 millibars Storm surge: 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 meters) Likely damage: Extensive.

Some damage to small residences and utility buildings. Mobile homes destroyed. Coastal flooding destroys smaller structures, and larger structures damaged by floating debris. Flooding may occur far inland. Category Four Wind speeds: 131 to 155 miles an hour (211 to 249 kilometers an hour) Barometric pressure: 27.17 to 27.88 inches, or 920 to 944 millibars Storm surge: 13 to 18 feet (4 to 5.5 meters) Likely damage: Extreme. Heavy damage to many residences, with roofs completely destroyed on small residences. Major erosion of beaches. Flooding may occur far inland. Category Five Wind speeds: Exceeding 155 miles an hour (249 kilometers an hour) Barometric pressure: Lower than 27.17 inches, or 920 millibars Storm surge: More than 18 feet (5.5 meters) Likely damage: Catastrophic. Roofs completely destroyed on many residences and larger buildings. Some buildings completely destroyed. Major flood damage to lower floors of buildings near the shore. Massive evacuation may be required.

Flooding may occur far inland. Cyclone Category in Australia © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2006, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) used with permission Comparison to the damage inflicted by an nuclear bomb Tropical Cyclone Larry hit Innisfail, Australia, on Monday morning, ripping the roofs off buildings and damaging 55 percent of the homes in the city. " It looks like an atomic bomb hit the place ," said the mayor, and city residents repeated his claim . Could Larry's 180 mile-per-hour wind gusts cause as much damage as an atomic bomb? It depends how you calculate damage. A Category 4 cyclone like Larry might level buildings over an area of 2,500 square miles. (A hurricane is just what we call a tropical cyclone that originates in our part of the world.) It would take a 10-megaton nuclear weapon to inflict damage over such a wide area. By comparison, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were only about 15 and 21 kilotons.

(There are 1,000 kilotons in a megaton.) It's a little tricky to compare the two, since a nuke would obliterate everything near to the site of the explosion and inflict less damage as you moved farther away. A hurricane, on the other hand, would cause less severe damage, but the damage would be more uniform and over a larger area. You can get a better sense of how the two compare by looking at the devastation caused by a nuclear weapon at various distances from the explosion. Then, it's possible to figure out what kind of tropical storm would cause a similar amount of damage at each distance. Savannah, Ga., commissioned this kind of analysis in advance of the G-8 meetings of 2004. Part of the study looked at the structural damage caused by a 25-kiloton nuclear explosion. At a radius of three miles, the damage would be equivalent to that caused by a piddling hurricane with wind speeds averaging 80 mph. At half that distance from the blast, the effects would be more like a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds. Nuclear explosions can destroy a city with thermal radiation and a wave of kinetic energy.

They also generate high-speed winds that cause damage in much the way a hurricane might. The blast wave consists of an expanding line of very high pressure (called "overpressure") that draws gusting winds in its wake. The wave of overpressure sweeps past structures very quickly, followed by winds that can crash into them at hundreds of miles per hour. Thermal radiation can also produce high winds by igniting flammable materials and setting off a mass fire . The rising heat from a mass fire causes cool air to rush in from the periphery at hurricane velocities. A real hurricane works in a similar way. Nuclear blast-winds don't affect buildings in quite the same way as hurricane winds of the same speed. The nuclear blast-wind looks like a strong pulse, or gust, rather than the sustained winds of a hurricane. In that sense, it causes damage more like a tornado would—by hitting a building with high intensity for a short period. On the other hand, blast winds generally hit a building from one direction like hurricane winds. Tornado winds cause extra damage by twirling around as they hit.

Flooding Affect of Cyclone Larry on Avocado Growers Avocados Australia, peak industry body said cyclone Larry had caused devastation to one of the Australia’s largest avocado production areas and to the lives of hundreds of avocado growers. The main growing areas in North Queensland have been destroyed in the middle of their harvest period. Resulting is large losses for growers in what was looking to be one their most successful seasons in many years. Over $15 million worth of crop was lost in just a few short hours. The North Queensland avocado crop was currently supplying 80% of the fruit in the market. The next production area to begin harvesting is Bundaberg. Avocados Australia, Chief Executive Officer Antony Allen said initial reports indicated the majority of production areas had been devastated. “Communities in producing areas will be severely effected in what was the height of the harvesting and packing period for avocado businesses”, he said. “We understand some growers have lost their entire avocado crop and large numbers of trees have been completely up-rooted.

It could be up to five years before the North Queensland industry is capable of recovery.” “The North Queensland industry and community will require long term assistance to be able to rebuild and we will work with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries and our fellow peak industry bodies on what can be done to help rebuild the North Queensland horticulture industry.” Banana growers website was unavailable How does Cyclone Larry compare to other cyclones? By Tim Arvier National Nine News The images coming out of Innisfail have shocked Australians. Houses have been destroyed, crops obliterated and livelihoods shattered. Many have called Cyclone Larry one of the biggest ever to hit Australia. But how does it actually compare with other cyclones which have struck our shores? Below is a list of some of the most ferocious cyclones that have lashed Australian towns and cities. We also compare these with Hurricane Katrina. Cyclone Larry, March 2006. After wreaking havoc in Innisfail, Larry has now weakened into a low pressure system and is not expected to be any further threat. At its peak, the cyclone registered winds of up to 290km/h and was graded a category five, the highest possible grading for a cyclone.

While the economic damage may run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, amazingly, no one was killed. Cyclone Mahina, March 1899. The most deadly cyclone in Australian history, Mahina struck at Bathurst Bay near Cape Melville in Queensland. It completely destroyed a pearling fleet, with over 400 people losing their lives. Massive flooding affected many Aboriginal communities, with around 100 indigenous Australians thought to have perished. Unfortunately no comprehensive documentation of Mahina's size or wind speeds exists. Cyclone Ada, January 1970.

Question: Which is the closest to an alternative name for a cyclone?
Answer: Hurricane