1989–90 Australian region cyclone season

The 1989–90 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season. It was also an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1989 to 30 April 1990. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" ran from 1 July 1989 to 30 June 1990.

1989–90 Australian region cyclone season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedJuly 14, 1989
Last system dissipatedApril 18, 1990
Strongest storm
NameAlex
 • Maximum winds220 km/h (140 mph)
(10-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure927 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Tropical lows14
Tropical cyclones14
Severe tropical cyclones5
Total fatalitiesUnknown
Total damageUnknown
Related articles

Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane; and TCWC Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Seasonal summary

Systems

Tropical Storm 02S
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationJuly 14 – July 16
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min)  997 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Storm 02S existed from July 14 to July 16.

Tropical Cyclone Pedro
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 4 – November 13
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min)  982 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Cyclone Pedro existed from November 4 to November 13.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Felicity
Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
Duration13 December – 20 December
Peak intensity140 km/h (85 mph) (10-min)  975 hPa (mbar)

On 13 December, the BoM started to monitor a monsoon low, that had developed within the Arafura Sea to the northeast of Darwin.[1] Over the next day, the system moved southeastwards over the Northern Territory, before it re-curved slightly and entered the Gulf Of Carpentaria.[1] Early on 15 December, the system was named Felicity by TCWC Brisbane, after it had become a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian Scale.[1] During that day the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 07P, with peak 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph).[2] TCWC Brisbane subsequently reported peak 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph), before the system made landfall over the Cape York Peninsula where it weakened below cyclone intensity.[1] The system subsequently moved into the Coral Sea during 16 December, where it started to rapidly deepen, but did not reattain the classical characteristics of a tropical cyclone.[1][3] As a result, both TCWC Nadi and TCWC Brisbane treated the system as a tropical depression over the next four days despite winds of between 110 and 115 km/h (68 and 71 mph) being observed in the southwest quadrant.[1][3] Felicity subsequently dissipated during 20 December as it was absorbed by a short-wave trough of low pressure to the north of New Zealand.[1][3] Some minor damage to vegetation was recorded on the Cape York Peninsular.[1][3]

Tropical Cyclone Rosita
Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
 
DurationJanuary 4 – January 17
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min)  988 hPa (mbar)

Rosita, 4 to 17 January 1990, Indian Ocean

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sam
Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 11 – January 21
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min)  966 hPa (mbar)

Sam, 11 to 21 January 1990, near Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Tina
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 24 – January 29
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  972 hPa (mbar)

Tina, 24 to 29 January 1990, crossed Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Nancy
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 26 – February 4
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  975 hPa (mbar)

In late January, a monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on 26 January, over the Coral Sea. The depression developed good outflow, before gaining tropical cyclone characteristic on 31 January, and was designated as Tropical Cyclones Nancy. An upper-level trough forced the storm southward, before shifting southwestward. At 3:00 UTC on 1 February, Nancy reached its peak intensity with 10-minute sustained winds of around 60mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mbar. Between 1–2 February, the cyclone gradually moved just offshore the Brisbane area. Nancy then weakened while continuing to move southward, before transitioning into an extratropical low on 4 February. The remnants eventually dissipated to the west of New Zealand on 8 February.[4]

Nancy caused flash floods responsible for five fatalities.[5]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Vincent
Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 25 – March 6
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min)  965 hPa (mbar)

Vincent, 25 February to 6 March 1990, near Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Greg
Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 28 – March 5
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min)  990 hPa (mbar)

Greg, 28 February to 5 March 1990, Gulf of Carpentaria

Tropical Cyclone Walter-Gregoara
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 4 – March 13 (Exited basin)
Peak intensity95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min)  985 hPa (mbar)

Walter, 3 to 27 March 1990, Indian Ocean

Tropical Cyclone Hilda
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 4 – March 7
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min)  970 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Hilda had cloud tops estimated at 62,000 feet tall. The measured cloud top temperature was -152 °F, which is the coldest cloud-top temperature ever measured.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alex
Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 4 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 14 – March 26
Peak intensity220 km/h (140 mph) (10-min)  927 hPa (mbar)

Alex was a fairly intense system. It existed from 14 to 26 March 1990. Despite the intensity, Alex never caused significant damage.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ivor
Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 14 – March 26
Peak intensity165 km/h (105 mph) (10-min)  965 hPa (mbar)

Ivor, 14 to 26 March 1990, crossed Cape York, Queensland

Tropical Cyclone Bessi
Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationApril 11 – April 18
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min)  990 hPa (mbar)

Bessi, 11 to 18 April 1990, Indian Ocean

See also

References
  1. Tropical Cyclone Felicity (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center. Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: 1990 (PDF) (Report). United States Navy, United States Air Force. p. 234. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. Singh, Arveen K; Fiji Meteorological Service (Summer 1990). DeAngellis, Richard M (ed.). "Tropical depression in Coral Sea (former T.C. Felicity), December 18–20, 1989" (Mariners Weather Log). 34 (3). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Oceanographic Data Service: 48. hdl:2027/uiug.30112104094245. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Tropical Cyclone Nancy". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. "EMA Disasters Database".
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