Cyclone Guba
Encyclopedia
Cyclone Guba was a tropical cyclone
that resulted in 149 fatalities and severe damage across southeastern Papua New Guinea
. The first named cyclone of the 2007-08 Australian region cyclone season
, Guba formed on November 13, 2007 close to the island of New Guinea
, and reached tropical cyclone intensity the next day by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Brisbane
, with the TCWC in Port Moresby
assigning the name Guba. It meandered in the northern Coral Sea
for the next week, strengthening to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on November 16. It posed a threat to the Australian Cape York Peninsula
, but remained offshore, and finally dissipated on November 20.
began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low located near the southern Papua New Guinea
mainland on November 13, 2007, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
on the storm. Later that day, the JTWC issued its first advisory, designating the low as Tropical Cyclone 02P. TCWC Brisbane initiated tropical cyclone advices on the tropical low early on November 14, with a cyclone watch declared for the northern coastal and island communities in the Cape York Peninsula
. Shortly after, TCWC Brisbane upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone Guba, a name assigned by the TCWC in Port Moresby
. The name Guba is a boy's name in Papua New Guinea meaning 'a rain squall on the sea'. Guba drifted erratically off the Queensland
coast for the next two days, and cyclone warnings were cancelled when TCWC Brisbane expected the cyclone to remain slow-moving. Guba began drifting southwards and intensified on November 16, becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Guba was a small, but intense system, forming a well-defined eye
. Guba began weakening on November 17 and was downgraded to a Category 2. After downgraded to a Category 1 cyclone on November 18, it started to accelerate to the west towards the Queensland coast. Cyclone watches and warnings were declared again on November 19 as the cyclone was expected to move closer to the coast and intensify. This did not materialise, however, as Guba then turned northwards later that day, avoiding the Australian mainland, then northeast while it continued to weaken. TCWC Brisbane downgraded Guba below tropical cyclone strength, and issued its last advisory early on November 20.
where 149 people were confirmed to have been killed by the storm. Damage from the storm was believed to have exceeded 500 million kina
($177 million USD
).
Flooding in Papua New Guinea led to at least 200 deaths. In the Oro Province
, about 2,000 people were evacuated as a result of the flooding. Roads, bridges and 40 houses were washed away, as tide
s in the area reached two metres high. In the provincial capital, Popondetta
, the water supply and electrical infrastructure was damaged, and road access was blocked. Papua New Guinea's national airline, Air Niugini
, suspended flights to Popondetta's main airport. The Rabaraba district in Milne Bay Province
was also hit by flooding, with 30 houses and food gardens washed away, and forcing the evacuation of about 100 people. The government in Papua New Guinea reported that an estimated 145,000 people were affected from the flooding in Oro Province. Six days of torrential rain led to a damage total of 200 million kina
($71.4 million USD
). The torrential rain was the worst seen in the region in 30 years, according to the local people.
in Oro Province
and gave 50 million kina to help the province's communities. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force and local United Nations
officials will assist in the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Australia
donated A$
1 million in humanitarian relief to the affected regions. Five Royal Australian Air Force
aircraft, three Australian Army
helicopters a Royal Australian Navy
landing craft and other Australian Defence Force personnel were sent to Papua New Guinea
to assist in the relief; along with supplies which include water purification tablets, water containers, emergency shelters, blankets and generators. The AusAID organised a mission to assess the damage to infrastructure and to report priority relief needs.
(mbar), was the second weakest cyclone within the South Pacific, that either the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Brisbane
, Australia
or the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
in Nadi, Fiji had monitored in the south Pacific that season.
This was the first time that a cyclone had been called Guba anywhere in the world. The name Guba was retired by the World Meteorological Organization
and was replaced with the name Malia. This was because tropical cyclones rarely form in TCWC Port Moresby Area of Responsibility and when a cyclone does form it automatically gets its name retired.
Guba was the first tropical cyclone to be assigned a name from Port Moresby's name lists since Tropical Cyclone Epi in 2003. It is the first cyclone to occur in the Queensland region in the month of November since 1977.
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...
that resulted in 149 fatalities and severe damage across southeastern 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...
. The first named cyclone of the 2007-08 Australian region cyclone season
2007-08 Australian region cyclone season
The 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season got off to an early start with the formation on 27 July of the first Tropical Cyclone which was not upgraded operationally to a cyclone but was later upgraded to a Cyclone during post storm analysis. This was the second time that a tropical Cyclone had...
, Guba formed on November 13, 2007 close to the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and reached tropical cyclone intensity the next day by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) 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...
, with the TCWC 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...
assigning the name Guba. It meandered in the northern Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
for the next week, strengthening to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on November 16. It posed a threat to the Australian Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, but remained offshore, and finally dissipated on November 20.
Meteorological history
The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in 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...
began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low located near the southern 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...
mainland on November 13, 2007, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
on the storm. Later that day, the JTWC issued its first advisory, designating the low as Tropical Cyclone 02P. TCWC Brisbane initiated tropical cyclone advices on the tropical low early on November 14, with a cyclone watch declared for the northern coastal and island communities in the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
. Shortly after, TCWC Brisbane upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone Guba, a name assigned by the TCWC 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...
. The name Guba is a boy's name in Papua New Guinea meaning 'a rain squall on the sea'. Guba drifted erratically off the 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...
coast for the next two days, and cyclone warnings were cancelled when TCWC Brisbane expected the cyclone to remain slow-moving. Guba began drifting southwards and intensified on November 16, becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Guba was a small, but intense system, forming a well-defined eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. Guba began weakening on November 17 and was downgraded to a Category 2. After downgraded to a Category 1 cyclone on November 18, it started to accelerate to the west towards the Queensland coast. Cyclone watches and warnings were declared again on November 19 as the cyclone was expected to move closer to the coast and intensify. This did not materialise, however, as Guba then turned northwards later that day, avoiding the Australian mainland, then northeast while it continued to weaken. TCWC Brisbane downgraded Guba below tropical cyclone strength, and issued its last advisory early on November 20.
Impact
As a tropical low, the precursor to Guba brought torrential rains to portions of Papua New Guinea, leading to widespread landslides and flooding. The most severe damage took place in Oro ProvinceOro Province
Oro Province, formerly Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km², and has 133,065 inhabitants ....
where 149 people were confirmed to have been killed by the storm. Damage from the storm was believed to have exceeded 500 million kina
Papua New Guinean kina
The kina is the currency of Papua New Guinea. It is divided in 100 toea. The kina was introduced on 19 April 1975, replacing the Australian dollar at par...
($177 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
).
Flooding in Papua New Guinea led to at least 200 deaths. In the Oro Province
Oro Province
Oro Province, formerly Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km², and has 133,065 inhabitants ....
, about 2,000 people were evacuated as a result of the flooding. Roads, bridges and 40 houses were washed away, as tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s in the area reached two metres high. In the provincial capital, Popondetta
Popondetta
Popondetta is the capital of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea.In 1951 the town became the focus of relief efforts after nearby Mount Lamington erupted and killed 4,000 people....
, the water supply and electrical infrastructure was damaged, and road access was blocked. Papua New Guinea's national airline, Air Niugini
Air Niugini
Air Niugini Limited is the national airline of Papua New Guinea, based in Air Niugini House on the property of Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby. It operates a domestic network from Port Moresby and Lae, as well as international services in Asia, Oceania, and Australia. Its main base is...
, suspended flights to Popondetta's main airport. The Rabaraba district in Milne Bay Province
Milne Bay Province
Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Alotau. The province covers 14,000 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea, within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of which are inhabited...
was also hit by flooding, with 30 houses and food gardens washed away, and forcing the evacuation of about 100 people. The government in Papua New Guinea reported that an estimated 145,000 people were affected from the flooding in Oro Province. Six days of torrential rain led to a damage total of 200 million kina
Kina
Kina can refer to:* Kina * Kina * Kina, Name of People's Republic of China in Bosnian, Croatian, Danish, Montenegrin, Norwegian, Serbian and Swedish language...
($71.4 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
). The torrential rain was the worst seen in the region in 30 years, according to the local people.
Aftermath
The Papua New Guinea government declared a state of emergencyState of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in Oro Province
Oro Province
Oro Province, formerly Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km², and has 133,065 inhabitants ....
and gave 50 million kina to help the province's communities. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force and local United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
officials will assist in the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
donated A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
1 million in humanitarian relief to the affected regions. Five Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
aircraft, three Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
helicopters a Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
landing craft and other Australian Defence Force personnel were sent to Papua New Guinea
Operation Papua New Guinea Assist
Operation Papua New Guinea Assist was the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the Australian humanitarian effort in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea following heavy flooding caused by Cyclone Guba in November 2007. The humanitarian effort was being led by AusAID and the ADF provided...
to assist in the relief; along with supplies which include water purification tablets, water containers, emergency shelters, blankets and generators. The AusAID organised a mission to assess the damage to infrastructure and to report priority relief needs.
Naming
Severe Tropical Cyclone Guba, with a minimum pressure of 970 hPaHPA
-Organizations:*Halifax Port Authority, a port authority in Canada*Hamburg Port Authority, the port authority for the Port of Hamburg, Germany*Health Protection Agency, a health organization in the United Kingdom...
(mbar), was the second weakest cyclone within the South Pacific, that either the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center 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...
, 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...
or the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
in Nadi, Fiji had monitored in the south Pacific that season.
This was the first time that a cyclone had been called Guba anywhere in the world. The name Guba was retired by 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...
and was replaced with the name Malia. This was because tropical cyclones rarely form in TCWC Port Moresby Area of Responsibility and when a cyclone does form it automatically gets its name retired.
Guba was the first tropical cyclone to be assigned a name from Port Moresby's name lists since Tropical Cyclone Epi in 2003. It is the first cyclone to occur in the Queensland region in the month of November since 1977.
See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- Timeline of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season