The 1999–2000 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly above average

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

season. It ran from 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a "''tropical cyclone year''" separately from a "''tropical cyclone season''", with the "tropical cyclone year" for this season lasting from 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000. Two of the most notable cyclones of the season were Steve and Rosita.

Cyclone Steve Tropical Cyclone Steve was a tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from 27 February 2000 until 11 March 2000. Cyclone Steve was noted for its longevity and traversal of northern and western Australia. It impacted on regions of north ...

transversed the entire Australian continent, and although a fairly weak cyclone, caused widespread flooding in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, while

Cyclone Rosita Severe Tropical Cyclone Rosita was a tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from 15 April through 21 April 2000. Rosita was one of the most intense tropical cyclones to hit the west Kimberley coast in the last century. Crossing the ...

made an almost direct hit on Broome as a severe Category 4 cyclone, devastating several remote stations and the town itself. Rosita surprised many residents of its arrival, as it made landfall very late in the season. __TOC__

Systems

ImageSize = width:800 height:215 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/11/1999 till:01/06/2000 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/11/1999 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<63_km/h_(<39_mph) id:C1 value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Category_1_=_63-87_km/h_(39-54_mph) id:C2 value:rgb(0.80,1,1) legend:Category_2_=_88-142_km/h_(55-74_mph) id:C3 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_3_=_143-158-km/h_(75-98_mph) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_4_=_159-204_km/h_(99-127_mph) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥205_km/h_(≥128_mph) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:02/12/1999 till:03/12/1999 color:TD text:"TL" from:09/12/1999 till:17/12/1999 color:C2 text:"Ilsa (C2)" from:09/12/1999 till:16/12/1999 color:C5 text:" John (C5)" from:24/01/2000 till:02/02/2000 color:C3 text:"Kirrily" from:01/02/2000 till:08/02/2000 color:C3 text:" Leon (C3)" from:14/02/2000 till:18/02/2000 color:C1 text:"Marcia (C1)" from:27/02/2000 till:11/03/2000 color:C2 text:" Steve (C3)" from:28/02/2000 till:09/03/2000 color:C4 text:"Norman (C4)" barset:break from:15/03/2000 till:20/03/2000 color:C2 text:"Olga (C2)" from:24/03/2000 till:25/03/2000 color:C2 text:" Hudah (C2)" from:01/04/2000 till:03/04/2000 color:C3 text:" Tessi (C3)" from:03/04/2000 till:07/04/2000 color:C2 text:"Vaughan (C2)" from:11/04/2000 till:20/04/2000 color:C5 text:"Paul (C5)" from:14/04/2000 till:21/04/2000 color:C5 text:" Rosita (C5)" from:21/05/2000 till:23/05/2000 color:TD text:"24F (TL)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/11/1999 till:01/12/1999 text:November from:01/12/1999 till:01/01/2000 text:December from:01/01/2000 till:01/02/2000 text:January from:01/02/2000 till:01/03/2000 text:February from:01/03/2000 till:01/04/2000 text:March from:01/04/2000 till:01/05/2000 text:April from:01/05/2000 till:01/06/2000 text:May TextData = pos:(569,23) text:"(For further details, please see" pos:(713,23) text:"

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

Tropical Cyclone Ilsa

Ilsa formed to the northeast of the

Cocos Islands ) , anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''" , song_type = , song = , image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands , map_caption = ...

on 11 December 1999. The cyclone moved to the south of Christmas Island on the 13th producing a heavy swell which caused some damage. Its development was impeded by vertical

windshear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

for a large part of its lifetime. After a long track eastwards across the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

it eventually crossed the

Western Australian Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

coastline on the Eighty Mile Beach near the Sandfire Roadhouse during the early afternoon of 17 December 1999. Apart from producing heavy rainfall, Ilsa did not produce any significant damage.

Severe Tropical Cyclone John

Tropical Cyclone John started as a low to the south-west of

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

on 9 December 1999. It rapidly intensified and moved towards the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...

coast of

. Just before landfall it was a severe category 5 storm with a central pressure of 915 hPa, with winds estimated at being up to 205 km/h (130 mph). The cyclone crossed the coast just to the west of Whim Creek between

Port Hedland A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

and Karratha on 8:30 am (WST) 15 December 1999. At the time of coastal crossing, it was estimated to have a central pressure between 930 and 940 hPa. The cyclone moved inland before dissipating the next day.

experienced gale-force winds for a period of 18 hours and near storm force winds with gusts to 124 km/h (78 mph) were observed on 15 December for most of the day. A maximum storm surge of 2 metres was recorded by the Port Hedland Authority at 6 am WST. At Karratha, on the western side of the circulation, the maximum wind gust recorded was 113 km/h (70 mph). At Cape Lambert, winds averaged 150 km/h (95 mph) for 5 hours with a maximum gust of 210 km/h (130 mph). There was some minor damage in Karratha. High winds and flooding caused extensive structural damage at many stations in the Pilbara and mining operations were suspended at many sites. The 113-year-old Whim Creek Hotel suffered major damage with the top floor lost, and the town of Newman experienced some flooding (500 mm (20 in) of rain was recorded). However, major towns in the Pilbara escaped any serious damage, and the damage was relatively light due to the sparseness of population in the area John hit. There were no deaths from John. Ten hours prior to landfall on the Australian coastline, John was moving southwards directly towards Karratha and Dampier. Had John failed to turn to the south-east like what it did, damage to the towns of Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne and Wickham caused by John would have been much worse.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily formed about 350 km (215 mi) east of the

on 24 January 2000 and moved west southwest towards the

coast. Kirrily intensified, reaching Category 2 status on 27 January. On 28 January, Kirrily turned southwest, moving away from the coast, weakening to below cyclone strength by 31 January, while located approximately 900 km (560 mi) west of Carnarvon. The lowest central pressure was estimated to have reached 970 hPa.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Leon–Eline

low-pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...

developed within the

monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...

on 1 February, while located about 250 km (155 mi) south of the

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

n island of

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

. The low formed due to a surge of energy within the monsoon that had crossed the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

from the northwest. Associated convection was initially sparse, and over the subsequent few days the system tracked west-southwestward without much development, moving around a large

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

over northwestern Australia. There was initially moderate

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...

in the region, although an

anticyclone An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined as a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from abov ...

was developing aloft, which allowed the convection was able to persist over the center and gradually develop

outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star *Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system * Outflow ...

. Late on 3 February, the Perth Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (PTCWC) upgraded the tropical low to a Category 1 on the Australian tropical cyclone scale, estimating 10 minute sustained winds of 65 km/h (40 mph). At 04:00 UTC the next day, the PTCWC named the storm Tropical Cyclone Leon. An hour prior, the

Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...

(JTWC) initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 11S, while the storm was located about 215 km (130 mi) south-southeast of

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

. After becoming a named storm, Leon turned more to the west-southwest, due to a trough weakening the ridge to the south. The storm developed increased convective banding, aided by decreasing wind shear, and quickly intensified. Early on 5 February, the PTCWC upgraded Leon to a Category 3 on the Australian scale, estimating 10 minute winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). At 22:00 UTC that day, the agency estimated an initial peak of 140 km/h (85 mph). On 6 February, the cyclone developed an

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

in the center of the convection that was only visible on

Special sensor microwave/imager The Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) is a seven-channel, four-frequency, linearly polarized passive microwave radiometer system.Hollinger, J.P. 1989: ''DMSP Special Sensor Microwave/Imager Calibration/Validation''. Final Report, Vol. I., Spac ...

, not on satellite imagery. On the same day, the JTWC upgraded Leon to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, estimating 1 minute winds of 140 km/h (85 mph). A trough passing to the south increased wind shear, causing the storm to weaken. Around that time, Leon passed about 510 km (315 mi) south of the

, while turning more to the west after the ridge strengthened to the south. By 8 February, the circulation was exposed from the rapidly dwindling thunderstorms. At 18:00 UTC that day, Leon crossed 90° E into the south-west Indian Ocean,

Tropical Cyclone Marcia

Marcia was a Category 1 cyclone that formed on 15 February, and remained quasi-stationary in the open Indian Ocean at around 15˚S, 103˚E. Perth issued its final warning on 17 February at 0400 UTC, downgrading to a tropical low. Marcia dissipated on 21 February. The lowest central pressure was 992 hPa achieved on 16 February at 1000 UTC.

Tropical Cyclone Steve

A long lived cyclone lasting 13 days, Steve actually made landfall four times on the Australian mainland. It formed on 25 February 2000 and crossed the

coast north of

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

the same day as a strong Category 2 in the Australian Scale. It weakened to a low and then redeveloped in the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

. Steve then crossed into the

and weakened again. The low then moved over the

near Broome and reformed again into a tropical cyclone. It intensified into a strong Category 2, reaching its peak intensity, and made landfall to the west of Karratha. It weakened to a Category 1 and emerged again over the

near Carnarvon. It finally made its fourth landfall as a weak Category 1 on 9 March 2000 near

Shark Bay Shark Bay (Malgana: ''Gathaagudu'', "two waters") is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/shark-bay area is located approximately north of Perth, on the ...

. It accelerated to the south-east towards Esperance and emerged over the

Great Australian Bight The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia. Extent Two definitions of the extent are in use – one used by the International Hydrog ...

where it became extratropical. There was extensive damage across a wide area of Australia, from

to Esperance in

on 11 March. Most of the damage was caused by severe flooding which resulted with costs in excess of $100 million (AUD). There were no reports of deaths from Cyclone Steve.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Norman

Severe Tropical Cyclone Norman developed from a low that moved off the west

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

coast on 29 February 2000. The cyclone tracked parallel to the

coastline for 3 days at a distance of about 250 km (155 mi), before continuing on a westward track away from the

coast. Norman quickly reached a peak intensity as a Category 4 cyclone on 2 March with a central pressure estimated at 920 hPa, while about 780 km (485 mi) to the west-northwest of Exmouth. Norman soon weakened over the following 2 days. During 6 March, the cyclone changed direction to a southerly track. The system finally dissipated on 8 March. Norman had no direct impact on Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Olga

Olga formed from a low that developed in the

Timor Sea The Timor Sea ( id, Laut Timor, pt, Mar de Timor, tet, Tasi Mane or ) is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia. The sea contains a number of reefs, ...

on 15 March 2000. The low maintained a west southwest track, paralleling the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts. The low was named Tropical Cyclone Olga on 17 March while located approximately 570 km (355 mi) to the north of

Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...

. Olga intensified to Category 2 status with a central pressure of 980 hPa. By the 20th the system had weakened to a tropical low while located about 970 km (605 mi) to the west of Carnarvon. The system had no direct effect on Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Hudah

Severe Tropical Cyclone Tessi

A tropical low in the northern Coral Sea moved toward the coast, deepened into Tropical Cyclone Tessi on 2 April and crossed the coast near Bambaroo and Crystal Creek (80 km (50 mi) north of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

) early on 3 April as a Category 2 system on landfall. Tessi's winds unroofed buildings, uprooted trees, downed power lines in the area between Ingham and Ayr. The Strand suffered wave damage with several boats destroyed. Heavy rain caused landslides on Townsville's Castle Hill destroying two homes and requiring the evacuation of another fifty homes. Considerable damage to personal property and to Townsville City infrastructure was reported. Townsville Aero reported a record April wind gust of 130 km/h (81 mph), a record April daily rainfall total of 271.6 mm (10.7 in) and the cyclone was the main contribution to a record April monthly total of 546.2 mm (21.5 in). In addition, moderate damage was also reported throughout

Magnetic Island Magnetic Island ( Wulguru: Yunbenun) is an island offshore from the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville, with 2,335 permanent residents. The island ...

and the then

Thuringowa Thuringowa Central is a suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the Thuringowa Central had a population of 2,023 people. Geography Shaped like an inverted letter "T", Thuringowa Central consists of residen ...

. Minor to moderate flooding in the Haughton River increased to major in the lower reaches with the highest level since the start of records in 1978 being recorded at Giru.

Tropical Cyclone Vaughan

A tropical low was first identified near

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

on 29 March. The low tracked northwest through the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...

to become Tropical Cyclone Vaughan early on 4 April. The system rapidly intensified to Category 2 during the morning of the 4th and tracked westward toward the north

tropical coast. Cyclone Vaughan weakened a little during 5 April and was downgraded to a Category 1 system before re-intensifying to Category 2 early on 6 April. However, by late morning on the 6th the system again rapidly weakened and was downgraded below cyclone strength during the afternoon. The remnants of Cyclone Vaughan drifted slowly northwest and dissipated during 7 April. There was no evidence of any significant impact on the coast from Vaughan.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Paul

Paul formed about 1000 km (620 mi) north of Karratha on 13 April 2000 and moved west, away from the West Australian coastline, thus never posing any threat to coastal communities. The cyclone showed rapid intensification and Severe Tropical Cyclone Paul reached Category 5 status during 15 April, and the lowest central pressure was estimated to have been about 920 hPa the following day. Severe Tropical Cyclone Paul passed about 200 km (125 mi) to the south of the

Cocos (Keeling) Islands ) , anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''" , song_type = , song = , image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands , map_caption = ...

during the 17th and the central pressure was estimated to be about 940 hPa. Wind gusts at Cocos Islands were in the order of around 50 km/h (30 mph). TC Paul continued to weaken as the system followed a general west-south-west track across the

. The cyclone slowed to be almost stationary on 20 April and weakened to below cyclone strength. Perth issued the final warning for TC Paul on 20 April when the Category 1 cyclone was in the vicinity of

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

14.7° south and

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...

94.3° east.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Rosita

Rosita was named on 17 April while located 670 km (415 mi) north of

. It rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm on 19 April while moving to the east-south-east. Rosita struck the

coast as a Category 4 at 0100 hours WST on 20 April 2000, 40 km (25 mi) south of Broome. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Rosita made landfall as a Category 5 cyclone. Its lowest central pressure was estimated to be 930 hPa a couple of hours prior to landfall. The small cyclone left severe structural damage in Eco Beach tourist resort, Yardoogarra and Thangoo Stations. Elsewhere there was considerable tree and powerline damage.

Other systems

On 2 December, TCWC Brisbane reported that a tropical low had developed within a monsoonal trough about 325 km (200 mi) to the north of Cook Town. During that day the low moved eastwards while weakening, before TCWC Brisbane issued the final bulletin on the low early the next day. On 10 January, a tropical low developed to the northwest of

. It moved to the southeast before it was last noted, the next day. On 19 February, a weak tropical low formed about 225 km to the east-southeast of

. It became stationary until it was last seen on the same day. There is a possibility that

Steve ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

formed from the remnant of this low. A tropical low was seen beginning to form, while located over the

Solomon Sea The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II. Extent The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of ...

on 14 March. It moved to the southeast before it was last noted while dissipating on 16 March, to the north of

. On 26 April, a tropical low was detected to the west of

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...

. It moved to the west, before turning north and to the east, until it entered the South Pacific basin on 31 April. It meandered on the basin, before reentering the Australian basin on 2 May. It accelerated to the west until it was last noted near

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

on the same day. It also possessed gale-force winds; however, like the low that formed two days later, it wasn't named. The last system of the season formed on 20 May as a tropical low to the south of the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

. It was last seen on 23 May as it entered the South Pacific basin.

Seasonal effects

, - , TL , , 2–3 December , , bgcolor=#, Tropical Low , , bgcolor=#, Not specified , , bgcolor=#, , , Cape York , , None , , None , , , - , Ilsa , , 9–17 December , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Western Australia , , , , , , , - ,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, , 9–16 December , , bgcolor=#, Category 5 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Pilbara, Western Australia , , , , , , , - , TL , , 21–23 January , , bgcolor=#, Tropical Low , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Kirrily , , , , bgcolor=#, Category 3 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , - ,

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

, , 1–8 February , , bgcolor=#, Category 3 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , , , , , , , , - , Marcia , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , - ,

, , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Northern Australia, Western Australia , , , , , , , - , Norman , , 29 February – 9 March , , bgcolor=#, Category 4 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Western Australia , , , , , , , - , Olga , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , , , , , , - , Hudah , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Madagascar, Mozambique , , , , , , , - , Tessi , , 1–3 April , , bgcolor=#, Category 3 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Queensland , , , , , , , - , Vaughan , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Queensland , , , , , , , - , Paul , , 11–20 April , , bgcolor=#, Category 5 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Cocos Islands , , , , , , , - , Rosita , , 14–21 April , , bgcolor=#, Category 5 severe tropical cyclone , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Western Australia , , , , , , , - , , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , ,

Storm names

Most tropical cyclones in the region are assigned names by the Australian

Bureau of Meteorology The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together ...

. Tropical cyclones are named if they are non-frontal low-pressure systems of

synoptic scale The synoptic scale in meteorology (also known as large scale or cyclonic scale) is a horizontal length scale of the order of 1000 kilometers (about 620 miles) or more. This corresponds to a horizontal scale typical of mid-latitude depressions (e. ...

developing over warm waters, or if Dvorak intensity analysis indicate the presence of

gale force 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 The scale was devised in 1805 by the Irish hydrographer Francis Beaufort ...

or stronger winds near the centre. Therefore, tropical systems with gales in one or more quadrants, but not near the centre, are not named. All names assigned in the Australian region are selected sequentially. 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 The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...

's official lists. Each Australian

Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) 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 p ...

(

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Darwin, and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

) maintains a list of names arranged alphabetically and alternating male and female. Tropical cyclones that develop in the South-East Indian Ocean are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Perth. This region includes the areas east of

90°E The meridian 90° east of Prime Meridian, 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. It is the border between two trop ...

, south of the

Equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

, and west of 125°E. Tropical cyclones that develop south of the Equator between 125°E and 141°E are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Darwin,

. This area includes most of the cyclones that form in the

Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea (or Arafuru Sea) lies west of the Pacific Ocean, overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Western New Guinea (also called Papua), which is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea. Geography The Arafura Sea is ...

and Western

. Tropical cyclones in the

and Eastern Gulf of Carpentaria between 141°E and 160°E and south of 10°S are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane,

. Perth * Ilsa —

— Kirrily —

— Marcia — Norman — Olga — Paul – Rosita Brisbane *

— Tessi — Vaughan No storms formed in Darwin region during the 1999–2000 season. However,

was named by TCWC Brisbane before passing through the warning area of Darwin. Additionally, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

reserves the right to name cyclones that develop in the

and

Gulf of Papua The Gulf of Papua is located in the southern coast region of New Guinea. It has a total surface area of . Geography Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River, Purari River, and Wawoi River flow i ...

, north of 10°S between 141°E and 160°E. Names are selected randomly from their list and retired once they are used. No cyclones were named by this warning centre during the 1999–2000 season.

References

External links

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

Fiji Meteorological Service (RSMC Nadi)

RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee Final Report

WMO Annual Summary of Global Tropical Cyclone Seasons 2000

Joint Typhoon Warning Center 2000 ATCR
* tp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon2/home/ncc/cyclone/cyclones_newformat.zip Raw cyclone track data
BoM Monthly Significant Weather Summaries

BoM 1999-2000 Annual Weather Report

1999-00 Annual Summary (Western Australia)

* ttp://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2000/summ1999-2000.htm Gary Padgett's Southern Hemisphere 1999-2000 Tropical Cyclone Season Review {{DEFAULTSORT:1999-00 Australian Region Cyclone Season Australian region cyclone seasons 2000 AUS