2000–01 Australian region cyclone season
Encyclopedia
The 2000–01 Australian region cyclone season was an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone
formation. It began on 1 November 2000 and ended on 30 April 2001. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001.
Tropical cyclones in this area are 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
.
. The cyclone damaged a train station and knocked down trees. Operationally, the Bureau of Meteorology considered Sam to have been a Category 5 cyclone; however, post-storm analysis indicated that winds peaked at 195 km/h (120 mph), ranking the storm as a high-end Category 4.
Offshore, two boats carrying a total of 167 illegal immigrants sank off the coast of Australia amidst rough seas produced by Sam. Officials confirmed the deaths of 163 of these after only four people were rescued by a Japanese tanker ship. The large loss of life ranked Sam as the second-deadliest tropical cyclone in Australian history.
coast. The storm paralleled the coast, reaching Category 2 strength before making landfall near Pardoo early on 31 January. The storm dissipated Late on the same day.
Torrential rains produced by the storm in the Northern Territory resulted in severe flooding which killed two people.
from an active monsoonal trough
. Wind shear
prevented the tropical low from intensifying for a few days, but once the storm formed it began to move southeast and intensify. Soon it intensified into a Category 2 cyclone. Wind shear soon became stronger and Cyclone Vincent weakened to a Category 1 cyclone. Cyclone Vincent crossed the Western Australia
coast as a tropical low, a few km south of Broome, Western Australia
.
On 3 April, Cocos Island
was placed under a cyclone watch as Walter approached the island. Throughout 5 April, heavy rains and high winds, estimated up to 90 km/h (55.9 mph) battered the area as Walter bypassed the island.
on 24 April 2001 as a poorly organized cyclone. The centre passed just to the north of town with a wind gust to 67 kilometres per hour from the northeast recorded at 4:11 am. Minimum pressure of 1002.9 hPa was recorded at 5 am, followed by the peak recorded wind gust of 90 kilometres per hour from the southeast at 6 am. A total of 24 mm of rainfall was reported in Carnarvon. Plantations to the north of Carnarvon reported 30-40 % crop losses, with wind estimates of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour. http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/cyclone/about/seasonsummary200001.shtml
.
Tropical cyclones are named if they are non-frontal low pressure systems of synoptic scale
developing over warm waters, or Dvorak
intensity analysis indicate the presence of gale force
or stronger winds near the centre. Therefore, a tropical system with gales in one or more quadrants, but not near the centre, are not named.
All names assigned in the Australian region are used sequentially, unlike lists used annually by the National Hurricane Centre in the Atlantic Ocean
and east Pacific Ocean
. Only the names used during this cyclone season are listed below. The complete list of names for each basin are found in the World Meteorological Organization
's official list.
, south of the Equator
, and west of 125°E
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Perth
, Western Australia
.
and 141°E
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Darwin
, Northern Territory
.
between 141°E
and 160°E
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane
, Queensland
.
between 141°E
and 160°E
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Port Moresby
, Papua New Guinea
.
No tropical cyclone names were used in the 2000-01 season.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
formation. It began on 1 November 2000 and ended on 30 April 2001. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001.
Tropical cyclones in this area are monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth
Perth, 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....
, Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and Brisbane
Brisbane
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...
; and TCWC Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Sam
Cyclone Sam was an intense Category 3 cyclone that did heavy damage cross northwestern AustraliaAustralia
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 cyclone damaged a train station and knocked down trees. Operationally, the Bureau of Meteorology considered Sam to have been a Category 5 cyclone; however, post-storm analysis indicated that winds peaked at 195 km/h (120 mph), ranking the storm as a high-end Category 4.
Offshore, two boats carrying a total of 167 illegal immigrants sank off the coast of Australia amidst rough seas produced by Sam. Officials confirmed the deaths of 163 of these after only four people were rescued by a Japanese tanker ship. The large loss of life ranked Sam as the second-deadliest tropical cyclone in Australian history.
Tropical Cyclone Terri
Terri formed on 28 January 2001 near the northern KimberleyKimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
coast. The storm paralleled the coast, reaching Category 2 strength before making landfall near Pardoo early on 31 January. The storm dissipated Late on the same day.
Tropical Cyclone Winsome
Winsome was a weak system that developed from a low in the Gulf of Carpentaria on 8 February.Torrential rains produced by the storm in the Northern Territory resulted in severe flooding which killed two people.
Tropical Cyclone Vincent
Cyclone Vincent formed on 12 February 2001, 900 km northwest of Onslow, Western AustraliaOnslow, Western Australia
Onslow is a coastal town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, north of Perth. It currently has a population of around 573 people and is in the Shire of Ashburton Local Government Area....
from an active monsoonal trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
. Wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
prevented the tropical low from intensifying for a few days, but once the storm formed it began to move southeast and intensify. Soon it intensified into a Category 2 cyclone. Wind shear soon became stronger and Cyclone Vincent weakened to a Category 1 cyclone. Cyclone Vincent crossed the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
coast as a tropical low, a few km south of Broome, Western Australia
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...
.
Tropical Cyclone Wylva
Tropical Cyclone Wylva hit the coast of Australia in February 2001. Although it was a weak Category 1 cyclone when it peaked in strength, it caused heavy damage when it made landfall. Heavy rain produced a record-breaking flood, which washed down the Victoria River. Damages were worth $13 million dollars and 700 people were evacuated from the dangerous flood waters.Tropical Low (10P)
This storm moved from Brisbane's area of responsibility into Fiji's on 16 February. It dissipated on the 18th.Severe Tropical Cyclone Abigail
On 24 February 2001, Cyclone Abigail formed about 80 km northeast of Cairns, Australia. It then made landfall in Queensland as a Category 1 storm.Severe Tropical Cyclone Walter
Walter was a storm that formed east of Christmas Island and tracked westward at a low latitude.On 3 April, Cocos Island
Cocos Island
Cocos Island is an uninhabited island located off the shore of Costa Rica . It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica...
was placed under a cyclone watch as Walter approached the island. Throughout 5 April, heavy rains and high winds, estimated up to 90 km/h (55.9 mph) battered the area as Walter bypassed the island.
Tropical Cyclone Alistair
The second most damaging cyclone of the 2000-01 Cyclone season, Alistair made landfall close to CarnarvonCarnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
on 24 April 2001 as a poorly organized cyclone. The centre passed just to the north of town with a wind gust to 67 kilometres per hour from the northeast recorded at 4:11 am. Minimum pressure of 1002.9 hPa was recorded at 5 am, followed by the peak recorded wind gust of 90 kilometres per hour from the southeast at 6 am. A total of 24 mm of rainfall was reported in Carnarvon. Plantations to the north of Carnarvon reported 30-40 % crop losses, with wind estimates of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour. http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/cyclone/about/seasonsummary200001.shtml
Storm names
Tropical cyclones are assigned names by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology or Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Tropical cyclones are named if they are non-frontal low pressure systems of synoptic scale
Synoptic scale meteorology
The synoptic scale in meteorology is a horizontal length scale of the order of 1000 kilometres or more. This corresponds to a horizontal scale typical of mid-latitude depressions...
developing over warm waters, or Dvorak
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
intensity analysis indicate the presence of gale force
Beaufort scale
The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...
or stronger winds near the centre. Therefore, a tropical system with gales in one or more quadrants, but not near the centre, are not named.
All names assigned in the Australian region are used sequentially, unlike lists used annually by the National Hurricane Centre in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and east Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Only the names used during this cyclone season are listed below. The complete list of names for each basin are found in the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
's official list.
Southeast Indian Ocean
Tropical cyclones that develop east of 90°E90th meridian east
The meridian 90° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.The Ninety East Ridge is named after the meridian....
, south of the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
, and west of 125°E
125th meridian east
The meridian 125° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Perth
Perth, 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....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
- Sam
- Terri
- Vincent
- Walter
Arafura Sea and Western Gulf of Carpentaria
Tropical cyclones that develop south of the Equator between 125°E125th meridian east
The meridian 125° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 141°E
141st meridian east
The 141st meridian east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
- Winsome
- Alistair
Coral Sea and Eastern Gulf of Carpentaria
Tropical cyclones that develop south of 10°S10th parallel south
The 10th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 10 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
between 141°E
141st meridian east
The 141st meridian east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane
Brisbane
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...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
- Wylva
- Abigail
Solomon Sea and Gulf of Papua
Tropical cyclones that develop north of 10°S10th parallel south
The 10th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 10 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
between 141°E
141st meridian east
The 141st meridian east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
No tropical cyclone names were used in the 2000-01 season.
See also
- List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 20002000 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2000 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season without a tropical cyclone in July since 1987. The season officially began on June 1, 2000, and lasted until November 30, 2000. The June through November dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in...
, 20012001 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was a fairly active Atlantic hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. The season officially lasted from June 1, 2001, to November 30, 2001, dates which by convention limit the period of each... - Pacific hurricane seasons: 20002000 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2000 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. There were few notable storms this year. Tropical Storms Miriam, Norman, and Rosa all made landfall in Mexico with minimal impact. Hurricane Daniel briefly threatened the U.S. state of Hawaii while weakening...
, 20012001 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2001 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most notable storm that year was Hurricane Juliette, which caused devastating floods in Baja California, leading to 12 fatalities and $400 million worth of damage... - Pacific typhoon seasons: 20002000 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2000 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2000, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
, 20012001 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2001 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2001, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November... - North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 20002000 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2000 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Six tropical...
, 20012001 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2001 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Four tropical...
External links
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
- Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology.
- World Meteorological Organization
- WMO Annual Summary of Global Tropical Cyclone Seasons 2000
- WMO Annual Summary of Global Tropical Cyclone Seasons 2001
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center 1999 ATCR
- [ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon2/home/ncc/cyclone/cyclones_newformat.zip Raw cyclone track data]
- BoM Monthly Significant Weather Summaries
- July 2000 to June 2001 Tropical Cyclone Summaries and Operational Track Data
- Gary Padgett's Southern Hemisphere 2000-2001 Tropical Cyclone Season Review