Severe storms in Australia
Encyclopedia
Severe storms in Australia refers to the storms, including cyclones, which have caused severe damage in Australia
.
The first storm recorded in Australia was a shipwreck in 1622.
freeway when culverts became blocked with debris at either end. Several cars were swept from the road into the rushing water of the concrete-lined Yarralumla Creek drainage channel which ran alongside the freeway. Seven people were killed, 15 were injured, and 500 people were affected by the 1971 Canberra flood
. Insurance damage was estimated at $9 million (1971 dollars).
27,000 people were affected across the state of Canberra by a severe storm in November 1996.
There were heavy storms (and a possible tornado) which hit Canberra, and the surrounding New South Wales
region, on 2 December 2005. The storms were the worst emergency to hit Canberra since the 2003 Canberra bushfires
. The storms caused much damage to houses and property, and one man was killed by a falling tree in the suburb of Curtin
. The storm hit Canberra at about 4.30 pm, and moved south-eastwards across the city. There were 51 Canberra suburbs which reported damage during the storm, the most extensive being in Fyshwick
estimated to be $3–4 million in damage. The ACT Emergency Services received about 200 calls for help during the storm, with the NSW SES getting more than 500 calls. Calvary Hospital, and thousands of houses lost power, with ACTEW
saying that about 5% of the network had been affected. Calvary utilised a generator until power was restored. The storm was rated as one of the biggest ever to hit the ACT, with an estimated $15 million in damages across the city.
From 1988 to 2005 there had been ten storms, previous to the 2 December storm, to hit the ACT. Five people were injured in the suburb of Chisholm
in 1990 by a tornado which destroyed a wooden church and damaged 37 houses.
On 31 December 2006 a huge thunderstorm, the third in three days, caused havoc in the southern part of Canberra - inner suburbs and Tuggeranong
. On 27 February 2007 a supercell
storm hit Canberra City, with hail covering the ground to a depth of 20 cm and creating one metre high hail drifts in Civic. The ice was so heavy, a newly built roof of the shopping centre collapsed. Birds were killed by hail produced from the supercell (Northbourne Avenue), and people were stranded. The following day (28 February) many homes in Canberra were subjected to flash flooding, caused either by the inability of storm water infrastructure to cope, or through mud slides from cleared land. November to February is traditionally the thunderstorm season. As reported by the Bureau of Meteorology, February 2007 had a record number of thunderstorms.
In 1969 there was a storm at Kempsey that killed 21 because of the loss of a ship.
-Turramurra
area to Duffys Forest
, with significant damage occurring to property in the Ku-ring-gai
, Hornsby and Warringah
council areas. More than 7,000 houses were damaged. The total estimated insurance payout for the storm was estimated at $215 million.
over Sydney on 14 April 1999. Hail the size of cricket balls fell in a damage path that extended from Bundeena
in the south to Darling Point
in the North and from Sydenham
in the west to Bondi Junction
in the east. In total, over 20,000 properties and 40,000 vehicles were damaged during the storm with more than 25 aircraft damaged at Sydney Airport.
, Sydney
and central western regions killed three and injured 50, over a 4 day period in November 2001. A widespread storm across the Southern Eastern States on the 1–2 February 2005, killed three and injured 12, with the damage bill estimated at $216.7 million.
A Piper Chieftain
light aircraft crashed west of Condobolin in December 2005 during storms killing Peter Menegazzo
, one of Australia's biggest landowners, and his wife.
, Central Coast
and Sydney
killed 9 people in June 2007. The storm caused extensive damage to the Newcastle
, Wyong and Gosford areas, and in the following days caused major floods in the Hunter region including Maitland
and flash flooding in other parts of the region. Electricity supplies were extensively damaged. The resultant swell from the storm on 8 June caused oil tanker Pasha Bulker to run aground off Newcastle's Nobbys Beach.
A few months later in October, a tornadic super-cell thunderstorm
hit the region surrounding Lismore
twice in one month. The first storm with giant hailstones the size of tennis balls hit Lismore on 8 October causing chaos in the CBD. Extensive damage was caused in central Lismore from large hail and strong winds. More than 17 people were injured by hail or flying glass from smashed windows. Over 1,000 claims were received by the NRMA
, mostly for damaged motor vehicles, broken windows, skylights and roof tiles. Nearly 300 calls for assistance were received by the SES. Many buildings were damaged including City Hall, the police station, ambulance station, hospital and other council buildings and small businesses. City Hall had massive damage on western side and had partly collapsed. The roof of the Gymnastics Centre had partly collapsed due to weight of hail and water. Damage bill estimated at $60 million with Lismore declared a natural disaster area. South Lismore was hit by another severe storm the following day on 9 October causing even more damage than the day before. Hail 6cm size and strong winds estimated at 100 km/h caused widespread damage. About 20mm rain fell in 10 minutes. Windows were smashed with hail inside houses. People were injured, cars damaged and trees uprooted with flash flooding and power outages. Three weeks later, another storm caused chaos in the small town of Dunoon. More than 20 houses lost their roofs with some partly demolished, including the local church, as the tornado swept through the centre of town. Trees were snapped off or uprooted, power lines brought down and gardens flattened. Large hail was reported. The local sub-station exploded after being hit by flying debris, causing power outages. The Lismore district was declared a natural disaster area for the second time this month with the damage bill at Dunoon estimated at $5 million. On the same day, large hail and strong winds caused damage exceeding $1 million in Grafton
, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby
.
and 73 millimetres in Mona Vale
over just one hour. The storms continued through to 14 February, with a maximum daily rainfall for the year of 332 mm recorded at Tuross Head. Some areas of the northwest and southeast were declared natural disaster zones. The State Emergency Service
received over 1500 distress calls, with damages exceeding $6 million in western regions.
was a tropical cyclone that devastated Darwin, Australia, from 24/25 December 1974. It killed 71 people and destroyed over 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, leaving over 20,000 people homeless. Most of Darwin's population was evacuated to Adelaide, Whyalla, Alice Springs and Sydney, and many never returned to Darwin.
Cyclone Mahina
, in March 1899, resulted in the greatest death toll of any natural disaster in Australian history. Over 400 people lost their lives. The storm decimated a pearling fleet at Bathurst Bay in Queensland and deaths included the crews of around 100 vessels and an estimated 100 local aboriginals, who were swept out to sea while trying to save shipwrecked crew.
Two of the country's strongest cyclones occurred on the North Queensland coast in 1918. The Mackay Cyclone struck Mackay and surrounding regions in late January 1918, in addition to a devastating storm surge and extensive flooding. A Category 4 cyclone with barometric pressure at the eye as low as 933 hPa, Mackay and Rockhampton experienced the death of some 30 people, hundreds of injuries, and $60 million damage. Of the approximate 1400 homes in the Mackay township, 1300 were destroyed or severely damaged.
10 March 1918 saw an even stronger cyclone and storm surge cross the coast at Innisfail, with further desolation at Cairns, Babinda, and on the Atherton Tableland. Barometric pressure measured from outside the cyclone eye was recorded at 926 hPa. Estimates based on height of the storm surge suggest the 1918 Innisfail Cyclone was a "super typhoon" with pressures below 900 hpa at the eye, however recording equipment at the storm centre was badly damaged so an accurate minimum could not be obtained. 37 people perished in the township of Innisfail, with a further 40-60 Aboriginals estimated to have died in outlying areas. With a population of 3,500, Innisfail saw only 12 houses remain unscathed.
A Cyclone in Northern Queensland killed 99 people over two days in mid March 1934.
The Gold Coast Cyclone struck the Gold Coast on 20 February 1954. Four people were killed during the cyclone, while a further 22 died in the resulting floods around Lismore in Northern New South Wales.
was hit by a tropical storm with wind gusts up to 130 km/h, reaching speeds of Category 3 tropical cyclones, and flooding throughout the region. Areas were declared disaster zones, with one of the worst hit areas being The Gap, a north-western suburb, where roofs were lifted off houses, trees were uprooted, and cars were destroyed by falling debris, destruction typical of tropical cyclones. Recovery efforts were hampered as further storms continued throughout the week.
ing, which resulted in extensive damage to property. At the time the Australian Bureau of Meteorology called the storm a "once in 100 year event", but similarly severe storms struck Melbourne in 2005 and 2010.
The system brought abnormally low temperatures and severe storms with gale and storm force winds to most parts of the region. However, the continuous rainfall for about 30 hours was perhaps the most significant feature produced by the low-pressure system. The rainfall resulted in widespread flooding, particularly over Central Victoria and West and South Gippsland. Unseasonable snowfalls were observed on the Australian Alps. Although low-pressure systems in February are not uncommon, the slow and westward moving nature of this particular system was extraordinary. The centre of the low developed and deepened over Melbourne with very little movement. The combination of extreme rainfall and lashing winds caused destruction.
Victoria is a high area for severe storms.
killed 140 people in 1884. A Cyclone near Roebourne
and Geraldton
killed 61-71 people in 1894.
A Cyclone in Broome
killed 141 people in March 1935.
with golf ball sized hail, gale force winds up to 120 km, and 40mm of rain.
Frequent lightning strikes bought 120,000 homes without power with mudslides wrecking several homes. The storm was formed by a sudden wind change that combined with a surface trough, allowing the storm to move south and hit the entire southwest of Western Australia.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The first storm recorded in Australia was a shipwreck in 1622.
Australian Capital Territory
On 26 January 1971 a severe storm caused flash-flooding on the Woden ValleyWoden Valley
Woden Valley is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Its name is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by Dr James Murray who named the homestead after the Old English god Woden in October 1837. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom and...
freeway when culverts became blocked with debris at either end. Several cars were swept from the road into the rushing water of the concrete-lined Yarralumla Creek drainage channel which ran alongside the freeway. Seven people were killed, 15 were injured, and 500 people were affected by the 1971 Canberra flood
1971 Canberra flood
The 1971 Canberra flood was a flash flood that occurred on Australia Day, 26 January 1971, in the Woden Valley of Canberra, Australia. The flood killed seven people including four children, injured 15 and affected 500 people. The insurance damage was estimated at A$ 9 million. It was estimated that...
. Insurance damage was estimated at $9 million (1971 dollars).
27,000 people were affected across the state of Canberra by a severe storm in November 1996.
There were heavy storms (and a possible tornado) which hit Canberra, and the surrounding New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
region, on 2 December 2005. The storms were the worst emergency to hit Canberra since the 2003 Canberra bushfires
2003 Canberra bushfires
The Canberra bushfires of 2003 caused severe damage to the outskirts of Canberra, the Australian capital city. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory’s pasture, forests and nature parks were severely damaged, and most of the renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed...
. The storms caused much damage to houses and property, and one man was killed by a falling tree in the suburb of Curtin
Curtin, Australian Capital Territory
Curtin is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Woden. The postcode is 2605.It is next to the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin, Hughes, Lyons and Weston...
. The storm hit Canberra at about 4.30 pm, and moved south-eastwards across the city. There were 51 Canberra suburbs which reported damage during the storm, the most extensive being in Fyshwick
Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory
Fyshwick is an industrial suburb of Canberra, located east of the South Canberra district. On Census night 2006, Fyshwick had a population of 54 people....
estimated to be $3–4 million in damage. The ACT Emergency Services received about 200 calls for help during the storm, with the NSW SES getting more than 500 calls. Calvary Hospital, and thousands of houses lost power, with ACTEW
ACTEW Corporation
ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...
saying that about 5% of the network had been affected. Calvary utilised a generator until power was restored. The storm was rated as one of the biggest ever to hit the ACT, with an estimated $15 million in damages across the city.
From 1988 to 2005 there had been ten storms, previous to the 2 December storm, to hit the ACT. Five people were injured in the suburb of Chisholm
Chisholm, Australian Capital Territory
Chisholm is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Tuggeranong, named after Caroline Chisholm.It was gazetted on 5 August 1975, and streets are named after notable women....
in 1990 by a tornado which destroyed a wooden church and damaged 37 houses.
On 31 December 2006 a huge thunderstorm, the third in three days, caused havoc in the southern part of Canberra - inner suburbs and Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong is the southernmost town centre of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. It comprises 19 suburbs with a total of 31,819 dwellings, housing 87,119 people of the 324,034 people in the Australian Capital Territory . The district occupies 117 square kilometres to the east of the...
. On 27 February 2007 a supercell
Supercell
A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms...
storm hit Canberra City, with hail covering the ground to a depth of 20 cm and creating one metre high hail drifts in Civic. The ice was so heavy, a newly built roof of the shopping centre collapsed. Birds were killed by hail produced from the supercell (Northbourne Avenue), and people were stranded. The following day (28 February) many homes in Canberra were subjected to flash flooding, caused either by the inability of storm water infrastructure to cope, or through mud slides from cleared land. November to February is traditionally the thunderstorm season. As reported by the Bureau of Meteorology, February 2007 had a record number of thunderstorms.
New South Wales
Cyclonic effects in the North coast, New South Wales killed 46 people in 1923.In 1969 there was a storm at Kempsey that killed 21 because of the loss of a ship.
January 1991
On 21 January 1991 severe thunderstorms moved across the northern suburbs of Sydney during the afternoon. Strong winds and large hail stones caused extensive damage. Hail stones up to 7 cm in diameter and flash flooding was reported in several locations. Some areas received more than 35 mm of rain in 6 minutes and more than 60 mm in half an hour. Areas of most severe damage stretched from the WarraweeWarrawee, New South Wales
Warrawee is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Warrawee is located 21 kilometres north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
-Turramurra
Turramurra, New South Wales
Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Turramurra is located north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
area to Duffys Forest
Duffys Forest, New South Wales
Duffys Forest is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Duffys Forest is located 28 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Warringah Council...
, with significant damage occurring to property in the Ku-ring-gai
Ku-ring-gai Council
Ku-ring-gai Council is a Local Government Area in the North Shore region of Sydney. It includes the suburbs of Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, St Ives, Turramurra, Warrawee, and parts of Roseville, and Wahroonga. The region is named after the Kuringgai tribe who once inhabited the area...
, Hornsby and Warringah
Warringah Council
Warringah is a local council area in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, Australia. Warringah Council overlaps with a number of suburbs from the Manly Council area to the south and the Pittwater Council area to the north...
council areas. More than 7,000 houses were damaged. The total estimated insurance payout for the storm was estimated at $215 million.
April 1999
Australia's most costly natural disaster in dollar terms was a severe hail storm1999 Sydney hailstorm
The 1999 Sydney hailstorm was the costliest natural disaster in Australian insurance history, causing extensive damage along the east coast of New South Wales...
over Sydney on 14 April 1999. Hail the size of cricket balls fell in a damage path that extended from Bundeena
Bundeena, New South Wales
Bundeena is a village on the outskirts of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bundeena is located 29km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
in the south to Darling Point
Darling Point, New South Wales
Darling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
in the North and from Sydenham
Sydenham, New South Wales
For other places called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a small suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydenham is located 8 kilometres south of Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council...
in the west to Bondi Junction
Bondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
in the east. In total, over 20,000 properties and 40,000 vehicles were damaged during the storm with more than 25 aircraft damaged at Sydney Airport.
2001 - 2005
A severe storm in the Hunter ValleyHunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and central western regions killed three and injured 50, over a 4 day period in November 2001. A widespread storm across the Southern Eastern States on the 1–2 February 2005, killed three and injured 12, with the damage bill estimated at $216.7 million.
A Piper Chieftain
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
light aircraft crashed west of Condobolin in December 2005 during storms killing Peter Menegazzo
Peter Menegazzo
Peter Menegazzo was an Australian grain grower and cattle baron. Born to a modest immigrant family of fruit and vegetable growers, Menegazzo was said to be an intensely private person who rarely gave media interviews....
, one of Australia's biggest landowners, and his wife.
2007
A major storm in the Hunter ValleyHunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
, Central Coast
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
killed 9 people in June 2007. The storm caused extensive damage to the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Wyong and Gosford areas, and in the following days caused major floods in the Hunter region including Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
and flash flooding in other parts of the region. Electricity supplies were extensively damaged. The resultant swell from the storm on 8 June caused oil tanker Pasha Bulker to run aground off Newcastle's Nobbys Beach.
A few months later in October, a tornadic super-cell thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
hit the region surrounding Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
twice in one month. The first storm with giant hailstones the size of tennis balls hit Lismore on 8 October causing chaos in the CBD. Extensive damage was caused in central Lismore from large hail and strong winds. More than 17 people were injured by hail or flying glass from smashed windows. Over 1,000 claims were received by the NRMA
Insurance Australia Group
Insurance Australia Group Limited is an Australian publicly-listed company with its shares traded on the Australian Stock Exchange as ....
, mostly for damaged motor vehicles, broken windows, skylights and roof tiles. Nearly 300 calls for assistance were received by the SES. Many buildings were damaged including City Hall, the police station, ambulance station, hospital and other council buildings and small businesses. City Hall had massive damage on western side and had partly collapsed. The roof of the Gymnastics Centre had partly collapsed due to weight of hail and water. Damage bill estimated at $60 million with Lismore declared a natural disaster area. South Lismore was hit by another severe storm the following day on 9 October causing even more damage than the day before. Hail 6cm size and strong winds estimated at 100 km/h caused widespread damage. About 20mm rain fell in 10 minutes. Windows were smashed with hail inside houses. People were injured, cars damaged and trees uprooted with flash flooding and power outages. Three weeks later, another storm caused chaos in the small town of Dunoon. More than 20 houses lost their roofs with some partly demolished, including the local church, as the tornado swept through the centre of town. Trees were snapped off or uprooted, power lines brought down and gardens flattened. Large hail was reported. The local sub-station exploded after being hit by flying debris, causing power outages. The Lismore district was declared a natural disaster area for the second time this month with the damage bill at Dunoon estimated at $5 million. On the same day, large hail and strong winds caused damage exceeding $1 million in Grafton
Grafton, New South Wales
The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached...
, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby
Mullumbimby, New South Wales
Mullumbimby is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire, and is colloquially referred to as The Biggest Little Town in Australia. It lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about from the sea...
.
February 2010
Beginning on the evening of 12 February 2010, some regions of Sydney were innudated by strong rain and localised flash flooding. The storms produced some of the highest rainfalls seen in the area over a decade, with 88 millimetres recorded in HornsbyHornsby
- Places :* Hornsby, Cumbria, a place in Cumbria, Northern England* Hornsby, New South Wales, suburb of Sydney, Australia** Hornsby Shire, New South Wales, local government area of Sydney...
and 73 millimetres in Mona Vale
Mona Vale, New South Wales
Mona Vale is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 28 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Pittwater Council. Mona Vale is also part of the Northern Beaches region.-...
over just one hour. The storms continued through to 14 February, with a maximum daily rainfall for the year of 332 mm recorded at Tuross Head. Some areas of the northwest and southeast were declared natural disaster zones. The State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
received over 1500 distress calls, with damages exceeding $6 million in western regions.
Northern Territory
Cyclone TracyCyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
was a tropical cyclone that devastated Darwin, Australia, from 24/25 December 1974. It killed 71 people and destroyed over 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, leaving over 20,000 people homeless. Most of Darwin's population was evacuated to Adelaide, Whyalla, Alice Springs and Sydney, and many never returned to Darwin.
Queensland
Tropical Cyclone Sigma caused destruction from Townsville to Brisbane between 24–27 January 1896. 18 people were killed, most of whom lost their lives when a storm surge caused a breach of the Ross River on 26 January, travelling 3 miles upstream, and flooding parts of Townsville to a depth of 2 metres.Cyclone Mahina
Cyclone Mahina
Cyclone Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Australia and the surrounding region with a devastating storm surge on 4 March 1899, killing over 400 people, the largest death toll of any natural disaster in Australian history.-Intensity:...
, in March 1899, resulted in the greatest death toll of any natural disaster in Australian history. Over 400 people lost their lives. The storm decimated a pearling fleet at Bathurst Bay in Queensland and deaths included the crews of around 100 vessels and an estimated 100 local aboriginals, who were swept out to sea while trying to save shipwrecked crew.
Two of the country's strongest cyclones occurred on the North Queensland coast in 1918. The Mackay Cyclone struck Mackay and surrounding regions in late January 1918, in addition to a devastating storm surge and extensive flooding. A Category 4 cyclone with barometric pressure at the eye as low as 933 hPa, Mackay and Rockhampton experienced the death of some 30 people, hundreds of injuries, and $60 million damage. Of the approximate 1400 homes in the Mackay township, 1300 were destroyed or severely damaged.
10 March 1918 saw an even stronger cyclone and storm surge cross the coast at Innisfail, with further desolation at Cairns, Babinda, and on the Atherton Tableland. Barometric pressure measured from outside the cyclone eye was recorded at 926 hPa. Estimates based on height of the storm surge suggest the 1918 Innisfail Cyclone was a "super typhoon" with pressures below 900 hpa at the eye, however recording equipment at the storm centre was badly damaged so an accurate minimum could not be obtained. 37 people perished in the township of Innisfail, with a further 40-60 Aboriginals estimated to have died in outlying areas. With a population of 3,500, Innisfail saw only 12 houses remain unscathed.
A Cyclone in Northern Queensland killed 99 people over two days in mid March 1934.
The Gold Coast Cyclone struck the Gold Coast on 20 February 1954. Four people were killed during the cyclone, while a further 22 died in the resulting floods around Lismore in Northern New South Wales.
November 2008
On 16 November 2008, BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
was hit by a tropical storm with wind gusts up to 130 km/h, reaching speeds of Category 3 tropical cyclones, and flooding throughout the region. Areas were declared disaster zones, with one of the worst hit areas being The Gap, a north-western suburb, where roofs were lifted off houses, trees were uprooted, and cars were destroyed by falling debris, destruction typical of tropical cyclones. Recovery efforts were hampered as further storms continued throughout the week.
December 2003
A severe weather event occurred over the city of Melbourne, Australia, and surrounding areas of Victoria, from 1 December to 6 December 2003. The storm formed at around midnight on the night of 2 December. The two hours from midnight to 2 am saw extremely heavy rainfall, with some areas recording more than 100mm of rain in that time. The rapid rain fall caused flash floodFlash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing, which resulted in extensive damage to property. At the time the Australian Bureau of Meteorology called the storm a "once in 100 year event", but similarly severe storms struck Melbourne in 2005 and 2010.
February 2005
An unusually intense low-pressure system developed over Eastern Bass Strait on 2 February 2005. After a spell of warm days with a north to north easterly airflow over much of eastern Australia, the region suffered the effects of one of the most intense summer time weather systems on record. Southern NSW, South Australia and Tasmania also received substantial rainfall during this event, however the highest rainfalls were concentrated in Victoria. The event made February 2005, Victoria's wettest February since 1973 and the 7th wettest in the last 106 years. The cold air associated with this system also assisted in the month of February in Victoria being its coolest since 1954. Many rainfall and temperature records were broken in the course of the event as the system passed across eastern Australia.The system brought abnormally low temperatures and severe storms with gale and storm force winds to most parts of the region. However, the continuous rainfall for about 30 hours was perhaps the most significant feature produced by the low-pressure system. The rainfall resulted in widespread flooding, particularly over Central Victoria and West and South Gippsland. Unseasonable snowfalls were observed on the Australian Alps. Although low-pressure systems in February are not uncommon, the slow and westward moving nature of this particular system was extraordinary. The centre of the low developed and deepened over Melbourne with very little movement. The combination of extreme rainfall and lashing winds caused destruction.
Victoria is a high area for severe storms.
March 2010
6 March 2010 brought one of the worst hail storms to ever hit Melbourne. The storm occurred due to the collision of warm humid air moving southwards, and a cold front moving from the south-west. The resulting storms moved from north to south, wreaking havoc across Shepparton in the state's north, uprooting trees and damaging roofs. As the storms passed over central Melbourne they released large hailstones and very heavy rainfall, causing localised flash flooding and extensive property damage.Western Australia
A Cyclone at Eighty Mile BeachEighty Mile Beach, Western Australia
Eighty Mile Beach, also spelt Eighty-mile Beach or 80-mile Beach, lies along the north-west coast of Western Australia about half-way between the towns of Broome and Port Hedland. It is a beach some in length, forming the coastline where the Great Sandy Desert approaches the Indian Ocean...
killed 140 people in 1884. A Cyclone near Roebourne
Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital. It prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth...
and Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
killed 61-71 people in 1894.
A Cyclone in Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
killed 141 people in March 1935.
March 2010
On 22 March 2010, a Hail storm struck PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
with golf ball sized hail, gale force winds up to 120 km, and 40mm of rain.
Frequent lightning strikes bought 120,000 homes without power with mudslides wrecking several homes. The storm was formed by a sudden wind change that combined with a surface trough, allowing the storm to move south and hit the entire southwest of Western Australia.