Cyclones in Australia
Cyclones occur very often in Australia. On average, they happen about 12 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Western Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory.The typical cyclone season depends on the summer monsoon. In the months before (May to June) and after (October to November), the most severe storms occur.
The most severe cyclone to make landfall in Australia in the past 12 months was »Ilsa«. It reached a wind speed of up to 237 km/h on April 13, 2023 at 2:00 pm local time near Port Hedland and was 97 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 4 cyclone.
Other natural hazards in Australia:
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Back to overview: Australia
Current satellite image of the southwest Pacific Ocean
31.05.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent cyclones in Australia since 2018
Ilsa: April 8-13, 2023
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 237 km/h
Diameter:
max. 704 km
Air pressure:
below 929 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Gabrielle: February 8-12, 2023
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 165 km/h
on land:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 958 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Freddy: February 6-24, 2023
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
Diameter:
max. 582 km
Air pressure:
below 924 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Australia. On February 7th, 2023 at 5:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 615 km northeast of Broome in Western Australia.
Ellie: December 22, 2022 to January 6, 2023
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 72 km/h
Diameter:
max. 963 km
Air pressure:
below 990 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Tiffany: January 9-15, 2022
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
on land:
max. 46 km/h
Diameter:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 986 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Seroja: April 4-12, 2021
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 130 km/h
Diameter:
max. 167 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 972 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Western Australia
Western Australia
Seroja: April 2-12, 2021
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 741 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 968 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Western Australia
Western Australia
Niran: March 1-7, 2021
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Niran: February 27 to March 7, 2021
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 167 km/h
Diameter:
max. 700 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 921 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Lucas: January 29 to February 4, 2021
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 115 km/h
on land:
max. 56 km/h
Diameter:
max. 907 km
Air pressure:
below 975 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Gretel: March 13-19, 2020
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 115 km/h
on land:
max. 59 km/h
Diameter:
max. 993 km
Air pressure:
below 971 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Ferdinand: February 22 to March 1, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 204 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 958 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Australia. On February 27th, 2020 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 492 km northeast of Nickol in Western Australia.
Ferdinand: February 22 to March 1, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 648 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 958 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Australia. On February 23rd, 2020 at 11:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 342 km northeast of Broome in Western Australia.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Waingapu in Indonesia on February 23rd at 5:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Waingapu in Indonesia on February 23rd at 5:00 am.
Esther: February 21 to March 4, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 87 km/h
on land:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 963 km
Air pressure:
below 988 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Northern Territory
Queensland
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Queensland
Western Australia
Damien: February 3-10, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 3726 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 955 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Western Australia
Western Australia
Claudia: January 4-19, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 152 km/h
on land:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 3741 km
Air pressure:
below 963 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Blake: January 4-10, 2020
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 96 km/h
Diameter:
max. 907 km
Air pressure:
below 986 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Western Australia
Western Australia
Veronica: March 18-30, 2019
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 235 km/h
Diameter:
max. 3741 km
Eye:
max. 148 km
Air pressure:
below 927 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Western Australia
Western Australia
Trevor: March 14-25, 2019
Region:
Eastern Australia
Wind speed:
max. 204 km/h
on land:
max. 133 km/h
Diameter:
max. 167 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 948 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Queensland
Queensland
Riley: January 22 to February 5, 2019
Region:
Western Australia
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
The cyclone did not make direct landfall in Australia. On January 24th, 2019 at 2:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 107 km north of Broome in Western Australia.
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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