1973–74 Australian region cyclone season

1973–74 Australian region cyclone season
Season summary map
First system formed 17 November 1973
Last system dissipated 23 March 1974
Strongest storm1 Jessie – 964 hPa (mbar),
Tropical lows 19
Tropical cyclones 19
Severe tropical cyclones 9
Total fatalities Unknown
Total damage Unknown
1Strongest storm is determined by lowest pressure
Australian region tropical cyclone seasons
1971–72, 1972–73, 1973-74, 1974–75, 1975–76
Related articles

The 1973–74 Australian region season saw above normal activity.

Storms

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ines

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration November 17 – November 24
Peak intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min)  970 hPa (mbar)

On November 17, Ines formed offshore the Top End. Moving westward, the cyclone passed north of Bathurst and Melville islands. Thereafter, Ines curved southwestward and intensified into a 130 km/h (80 mph) cyclone while nearing Troughton Island. The storm made landfall in Kimberley, Western Australia on November 19. Ines slowly weakened after moving inland and dissipated on November 24.[1]

Tropical Cyclone Annie

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration November 21 – December 8
Peak intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min)  981 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Annie developed northwest of Western Australia on November 21. By December 8, it dissipated.[2]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Beryl

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration November 26 – December 4
Peak intensity 125 km/h (75 mph) (10-min)  973 hPa (mbar)

Beryl formed just south of the Lesser Sunda Islands on November 26. The cyclone strengthened, peaking with winds of 125 km/h (75 mph) on December 1. Three days later, Beryl made landfall near Carnarvon, Western Australia and quickly dissipated. Minor wind damage was reported.[3]

Tropical Cyclone Natalie-Lottie

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration December 1 – December 2
Peak intensity 65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min)  995 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Lottie struck Fiji's Southern Lau Group on December 10. High seas caused the ship Uluilakeba to capsize killing more than 85 people.[4][5]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Cecily

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration December 11 – December 19
Peak intensity 125 km/h (75 mph) (10-min)  973 hPa (mbar)

The next system, Cecily, developed near the Cocos Islands on December 11. Cecily moved south-southwestward and peaked with winds of 125 km/h (75 mph). On December 19, the cyclone dissipated.[6]

Tropical Cyclone Una

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration December 15 – December 20
Peak intensity 85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min)  988 hPa (mbar)

Una formed southwest of Solomon Islands on December 15. It struck Queensland before dissipating on December 20.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Deidre-Delida

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration December 20 – December 25 (Crossed 80°E)
Peak intensity 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min)  964 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Deidre developed in the vicinity of the Cocos Islands on December 20. Moving generally west-southwestward across the Indian Ocean, it crossed the 80°E on December 25.[7]

Tropical Cyclone Erica

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration December 29 – January 5
Peak intensity 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min)  977 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Cyclone Erica brought heavy rainfall to portions of Western Australia.[8]

Tropical Cyclone Fiona-Gwenda

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration January 6 – January 13
Peak intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  982 hPa (mbar)

Fiona-Gwenda was operationally considered two different tropical cyclones.[9]

Tropical Cyclone Vera

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration January 18 – January 20 (Crossed 160°E)
Peak intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  986 hPa (mbar)

On January 18, Cyclone Vera developed offshore Queensland. After moving northeastward, it then curved to the southeast. On January 20, Vera crossed 160°E and entered the South Pacific basin.

Tropical Cyclone Wanda

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration January 20 – January 25
Peak intensity 65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min)  997 hPa (mbar)

This cyclone existed from 24 January to 27 January 1974 and led to extensive flooding over southeast Queensland. Although this tropical cyclone was relatively weak, it dropped enormous quantities of rain on south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales over the Australia Day (26–27 January) weekend, resulting in some of the worst flooding seen in a century. The Queensland state capital, Brisbane, fared particularly badly, with fourteen lives lost and parts of the city submerged under 2 metres of the Brisbane River. (See 1974 Brisbane flood.) In northern New South Wales, a further two fatalities were reported. The cyclone's final toll: 16 dead, over 300 injured; 56 homes destroyed, a further 1,600 submerged; 8000 people left homeless.[10]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration February 5 (Crossed 160°E) – February 6
Peak intensity 155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min)  965 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Pam briefly existed in the Australian region basin from February 5 to February 6.

Tropical Cyclone Yvonne

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration February 8 – February 14
Peak intensity 75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min)  990 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Yvonne developed on February 8 and struck the Cape York Peninsula.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Helen

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration February 28 – March 8
Peak intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min)  973 hPa (mbar)

On February 28, Cyclone Helen formed offshore Western Australia. Moving generally westward, it dissipated on March 8.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Zoe

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration March 6 – March 14
Peak intensity 120 km/h (75 mph) (10-min)  968 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Zoe was named and detected on 9 March 1974 when it was northeast of Brisbane. In the following days it moved steadily southward[11] and interacted with an already-exiting trough in the easterlies to produce sustained and very heavy rainfall all along the coast from Brisbane south almost to Sydney. In the four days between 10–13 March, Brisbane received 419.4 millimetres (16.51 in)[12] and some places in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales received as much as 700 millimetres (28 in).[13] With catchments already saturated by heavy January rains, record flooding occurred on the Richmond River,[14] which reached a height of 12.17 metres (39.9 ft).

Severe Tropical Cyclone Isobel

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration March 9 – March 17
Peak intensity 130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min)  973 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Isobel existed over the eastern Indian Ocean from March 9 to March 17.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jessie

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration March 16 – March 25
Peak intensity 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min)  964 hPa (mbar)

Jessie developed between Indonesia and Western Australia on March 16. Moving west-southwestward, it was last noted on March 25.

Tropical Cyclone Jenny

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration March 16 – March 30
Peak intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  988 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Jenny struck northern Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Alice

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Clockwise vortex
Duration March 21 – March 23
Peak intensity 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  997 hPa (mbar)

The final system, Cyclone Alice, existed offshore the east coast of Australia from March 21 to March 23.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Severe Tropical Cyclone Ines (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  2. ↑ Tropical Cyclone Annie (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Tropical Cyclone Beryl (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ Fiji Times
  5. ↑ Joeli Kalgouta, "The Only Survivor", Liahona, October 2004.
  6. ↑ Tropical Cyclone Cecily (PDF) (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ Severe Tropical Cyclone Deidre (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ Tropical Cyclone Erica 29/12/1973 to 05/01/1974 (PDF) (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona-Gwenda (Report). Melbourne, Victoria: Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ Bureau of Meteorology (1992). Climate of Queensland, Commonwealth of Australia ISBN 0-644-24331-7
  11. ↑ Cyclone Zoe
  12. ↑ Brisbane Highest Daily Rainfall-March
  13. ↑ March 1974 flood
  14. ↑ Going to Venice
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