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The 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season was a near 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 officially started on 1 November 2008, and officially ended on 30 April 2009. This season was also the first time that the BoM implemented a "tropical cyclone year." The regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season"; the "tropical cyclone year" began on 1 July 2008 and ended on 30 June 2009. The scope of the Australian region is limited to all areas 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 ...
, 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 ...
and west of 160°E. This area includes
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
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 ...
, western parts 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 ...
,
East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
and southern parts of
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 ...
. Tropical cyclones in this area are monitored by five
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 ...
s (TCWCs): the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...
in
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 ...
; TCWC
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
in
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 ...
; and TCWC
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 ...
in
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 ...
. 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 ...
issues unofficial warnings for the region, designating tropical depressions with the "S" suffix when they form west of 135°E, and the "P" suffix when they form east of 135°E. __TOC__


Seasonal forecasts


Bureau of Meteorology

In October 2008 ahead of the season starting on 1 November, the tropical cyclone warning centres in Perth, Darwin and Brisbane issued a seasonal outlook for their area of responsibility, which urged people to prepare for possible tropical cyclones. Within each outlook factors such as the high values of the
Southern Oscillation Index Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, ...
, near average
sea surface temperatures Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masse ...
and the neutral
El Niño–Southern Oscillation El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an irregular periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics. The warming phase of the sea te ...
conditions were taken into account. TCWC Perth predicted within their seasonal outlook that the North-Western subregion between 105°E and 130°E would see an early start to the season. They also predicted that between 5 - 7 tropical cyclones would occur in the region during the season compared to an average of about 5 and that there was a likelihood of two tropical cyclones and one severe tropical cyclone impacting Western Australia. TCWC Darwin predicted that there might be an early start to the season within the Timor Sea and slightly above average numbers of tropical cyclones around northern Australia. They also noted that there was an even chance of having a severe tropical cyclone in the region during the season. Within their outlook TCWC Brisbane predicted that there would be a high amount of activity within the Australian Monsoon, and that the chances of a repeat of the widespread flooding rains were not great due to their being no well-established La Nina.


Others

During September 2008, the New Zealand
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA ( mi, Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental scien ...
(NIWA) and its partners issued a tropical cyclone outlook, for the South Pacific region between 135°E and 120°W. On 26 September 2008 the
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research issued a seasonal forecast for the whole of the southern Pacific Ocean to the east of 150°E. They predicted that the 2008–09 South Pacific cyclone season would see an average risk of cyclones forming, which meant that 8-10 tropical cyclones with wind speeds greater than 35 
knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot may also refer to: Places * Knot, Nancowry, a village in India Archaeology * Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life. * Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot Arts, entertainme ...
would form east of 150°E.


Seasonal summary

ImageSize = width:800 height:200 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:01/11/2008 till:01/06/2009 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/11/2008 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TL value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Low_=_<63_km/h_(<39_mph) id:C1 value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Category_1_=_63-88_km/h_(39-54_mph) id:C2 value:rgb(0.80,1,1) legend:Category_2_=_89-117_km/h_(55-73_mph) id:C3 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_3_=_118-157-km/h_(74-97_mph) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_4_=_158-198_km/h_(98-123_mph) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥198_km/h_(≥123_mph) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:17/11/2008 till:22/11/2008 color:C2 text:Anika (C2) from:21/11/2008 till:22/11/2008 color:TL text:"Bernard (TL)" from:15/12/2008 till:28/12/2008 color:C4 text:Billy (C4) from:21/12/2008 till:24/12/2008 color:TL text:04U (TL) from:23/12/2008 till:29/12/2008 color:TL text:05U (TL) from:08/01/2009 till:12/01/2009 color:C1 text:Charlotte (C1) from:11/01/2009 till:12/01/2009 color:TL text:07U (TL) barset:break from:24/01/2009 till:27/01/2009 color:C2 text:Dominic (C2) from:30/01/2009 till:04/02/2009 color:C1 text:Ellie (C1) from:02/02/2009 till:08/02/2009 color:C1 text:Freddy (C1) from:04/02/2009 till:06/02/2009 color:TL text:11U (TL) from:11/02/2009 till:17/02/2009 color:TL text:12U (TL) from:17/02/2009 till:18/02/2009 color:TL text: Innis (TL) from:19/02/2009 till:02/03/2009 color:TL text:14U (TL) barset:break from:27/02/2009 till:06/03/2009 color:TL text:Gabrielle (TL) from:04/03/2009 till:11/03/2009 color:C5 text: Hamish (C5) from:14/03/2009 till:24/03/2009 color:C4 text:Ilsa (C4) from:16/03/2009 till:20/03/2009 color:TL text:19U (TL) from:22/03/2009 till:24/03/2009 color:C2 text:Jasper (C2) from:23/03/2009 till:31/03/2009 color:TL text:21U (TL) barset:break from:11/04/2009 till:13/04/2009 color:TL text:22U (TL) from:18/04/2009 till:01/05/2009 color:C1 text:Kirrily (C1) from:10/05/2009 till:18/05/2009 color:TL text:24U (TL) bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/11/2008 till:01/12/2008 text:November from:01/12/2008 till:01/01/2009 text:December from:01/01/2009 till:01/02/2009 text:January from:01/02/2009 till:01/03/2009 text:February from:01/03/2009 till:01/04/2009 text:March from:01/04/2009 till:01/05/2009 text:April from:01/05/2009 till:01/06/2009 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 ...
)"


Systems


Tropical Cyclone Anika

During 17 November TCWC Perth and TCWC Jakarta reported that Tropical Low 02U had developed within the monsoon trough about to the northeast of the Cocos Islands. During the next day the low quickly developed further as it was steered on a south-easterly course by an area of persisting north-westerly steering winds. TCWC Perth, TCWC Jakarta and the JTWC then reported early on 19 November that the low had developed into a weak tropical cyclone with Perth naming it Anika. On 20 November, Anika reached its peak intensity as a Category 2 cyclone with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph) and a pressure of 984 hPa. The intensification was the result of deep
convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
wrapping around the center of circulation and
Dvorak Technique The Dvorak technique (developed between 1969 and 1984 by Vernon Dvorak) is a widely used system to estimate tropical cyclone intensity (which includes tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane/typhoon/intense tropical cyclone intensitie ...
intensity estimates reaching T3.5. Cyclone Anika passed to the north of the Cocos Islands, and cyclone warnings were cancelled later that day. Later that day, it weakened to a Category 1 cyclone. As the storm tracked over cooler waters, it continued to weaken. By 21 November, the storm weakened to a tropical low due to increasing wind shear. The next day, the Anika dissipated over open waters.


Severe Tropical Cyclone Billy

On 17 December, a tropical low formed 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 ...
north-west of Darwin in the Northern Territory. It moved into the
Joseph Bonaparte Gulf Joseph Bonaparte Gulf is a large body of water off the coast of the Northern Territory and Western Australia and part of the Timor Sea. It was named after Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon and King of Naples (1806-1808) and then Spain (1808 ...
and was very slow moving. On the night of 18 December it intensified into a Category 1 cyclone and was named Billy. On 20 December, Billy made landfall as a Category 2 cyclone approximately 65 kilometres north of Wyndham. After then, it weakened to a tropical low and moved slowly towards the southwest. It then moved off the coast just north of
Kuri Bay Kuri Bay is a remote coastal bay in the far north of Western Australia in the Kimberley region, about north of Broome. It is a designated point on the Western Australian Forecast Areas, utilised by the Bureau of Meteorology as a boundary for ...
and redeveloped into a tropical cyclone on 22 December as the storm turned to the north-north east. Late on 24 December, Billy began to rapidly intensify and reached Category 4 strength early on 25 December and became a typical annular cyclone. Later that same day, Billy weakened into a category 3 cyclone as it replaced its eyewall and TCWC Perth issued their final tropical cyclone advisory as the system was moving away from land. Billy weakened into a category 1 cyclone on 27 December and weakened into a tropical low on 28 December. Later that day, TCWC Perth issued their final advisory, as the system continued to weaken. Two remote
indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
communities, Kalumburu and Oombulgurri were cut off by flood waters with roads and the airstrips closed.


Tropical Low 04U

On 20 December, an
area of low pressure 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 ...
, associated with developing
convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
, formed about 1000 km (560 mi) east of Darwin 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 ...
. The next day, the Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin designated the system as a tropical low. Banding features developed along the southern portion of the system and further development was anticipated as the low was located underneath 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 ...
. Around 5:26 a.m. local time on 23 December, the low made landfall near Port Roper, preventing further development of the storm. About 36 hours after landfall, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued their final advisory on the system as it dissipated over land.


Tropical Low 05U

On 23 December, TCWC Brisbane noted that a weak tropical low had formed within 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 ...
, about 1330 kilometres to the north east 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 ...
. Over the next few days the low moved towards the south west into 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 ...
.


Tropical Cyclone Charlotte

On 8 January, TCWC Darwin identified a Tropical Low in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The next day TCWC Brisbane begin to issue advisories on the low and issued Cyclone Watches for coastal communities between
Aurukun Aurukun is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Aurukun and the Shire of Cook in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is an Indigenous community. In the , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,269 people. Geography Aurukun is ...
on the
Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...
and the
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 ...
/
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_ ...
border. On 11 January, the Tropical Low developed into Tropical Cyclone Charlotte, and on 12 January at 4:00am (
AEST Australia uses three main time zones: Australian Western Standard Time (AWST; UTC+08:00), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST; UTC+09:30), and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST; UTC+10:00). Time is regulated by the individual state gov ...
), crossed the coast near the Gilbert River Mouth with wind gusts of 120 km/h (70 mph). Heavy rains, estimated at over 150 mm (5.9 in), from Tropical Cyclone Charlotte flooded at least 100 homes in low-lying areas on Cape York including
Babinda Babinda is a rural town and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Babinda had a population of 1,253 people. Geography Babinda is located south of Cairns. The town is noted for its proximity to Queensl ...
, Mount Sophia and at Normanton. The rains also caused mudslides which, as described by an affected home-owner "...it's just mud, mud everywhere". The main road to
Karumba Karumba is a town and a coastal locality in the Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Karumba had a population of 531 people. Geography Karumba is in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, by road from Norma ...
was also cut off by flood waters. Damages caused by the storm were estimated to be at $15 million (USD).


Tropical Low 07U (05F)

On 11 January a tropical low formed in the Coral Sea. The winds peaked at . The low exited the basin and intensified into Tropical Depression 05F.


Tropical Cyclone Dominic

On 22 January, TCWC Perth noted that Tropical Low 08U had formed overland, to the north of Broome in
North-West Australia The North West, North West Coast, North Western Australia and North West Australia, are usually informal names for the northern regions of the State of Western Australia. However, some conceptions of "North West Australia" have included adjoi ...
.
JTWC 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 ...
had upgrade this system become a significant tropical cyclone as "good". On 25 January at 11:15am ( AWDT), TCWC Perth issued a Tropical Cyclone Warning for coastal areas from Wickham to
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 ...
. Later that day, the JTWC issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming ...
as a tropical cyclone was likely to form within the following 48 hours.https://www.webcitation.org/5e5DLv8tW?url=http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/warnings/sh9009web.txt TCWC Perth begun issuing advisories for the developing tropical low and issued a tropical cyclone warning along the far western coastline of the Western Australia region. On 26 January, the system became Tropical Cyclone Dominic. Further intensification followed and Dominic was upgraded to a Category 2 cyclone several hours later. Morning of 27 January, Dominic made landfall just after 7am (AWDT) near Onslow. Later that day Dominic weakened to a Category 1 cyclone before weakening into a tropical low during the day.
JTWC 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 ...
issued its last advisory on this system on 27 January as it continued to weaken inland. The formation of Dominic in an area that produces significant amounts of oil resulted in numerous evacuations of offshore oil platforms. The platforms remained closed for several days until the storm dissipated, resulting in a loss of roughly per day, increasing global gasoline prices. A red alert was declared for Onslow in preparations for the landfall of Dominic. A crane worker was killed in
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 Ha ...
while dismantling a crane. In Onslow, the roof of the local library was blown off, resulting in flooding within the building. A nearby hospital also sustained flood damage. Several trees and power lines were downed by high winds and some roads were flooded. Following the storm, the shires of Ashburton, Carnarvon, Upper Gascoyne, Murchison, Yalgoo, Moora, Northam, York, Quairading and Beverley were eligible for disaster assistance from the
Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...
.


Tropical Cyclone Ellie

Early on 30 January, the TCWC in Brisbane noted that a Tropical Low, had formed within a monsoon trough. Later that day the JTWC, reported that multi spectral imagery had shown a developing low level circulation center with deep convection located over the western quadrant of the Low level circulation centre. Late the next day the Bureau of Meteorology reported that the low had intensified into a tropical cyclone and assigned the name of Ellie to the cyclone. They also reported that Ellie had reached its peak winds of 80 km/h, (50 mph), which made Ellie a Category one cyclone on the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale. Later that day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center initiated issuing warnings on Ellie designating it as Tropical Cyclone 12P and also reported peak wind speeds of 75 km/h, (45 mph) which made Ellie equivalent to a Tropical Storm on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Ellie made landfall near Mission Beach at about Midnight
AEST Australia uses three main time zones: Australian Western Standard Time (AWST; UTC+08:00), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST; UTC+09:30), and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST; UTC+10:00). Time is regulated by the individual state gov ...
, 2 February (1400 UTC), as a Category 1 system and weakened into a Tropical Low. TCWC Brisbane was expecting Tropical Low ex-Ellie to move back over 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 ...
within 24 to 36 hours after Ellie made landfall and possibly reintensify into a tropical cyclone. However, this did not happen. The low that had been Ellie redeveloped within the south eastern
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 ...
. Torrential rain from the remnants of Ellie flooded areas in Northern Queensland, causing about A$110 million (US$69.5 million) in damages. In Ingham, between Cairns and
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 ...
, some 50 homes were flooded, with 32 people evacuated to emergency accommodation at a local high school.


Tropical Cyclone Freddy

On 2 February, TCWC Perth noted that a Tropical Low had developed in the monsoon trough, which was located over the
Kimberly 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 c ...
region. On 3 February, at 03:45 WDT TCWC Perth issued a cyclone watch for the area between Kalumburu and Broome as the storm continued to move west winds intensified to 75 km/h and warning that the storm may develop into a cyclone later in the day. The system was located 500 km north west of
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 Ha ...
on 5 February and was forecasted to continue moving westward into 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 ...
and strengthen into a cyclone although it was not expected to affect the West Australian coast line. On 6 February at 1200Z, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center identified the system as Tropical Cyclone 14S. Freddy tracked slowly south westward and steadily weakened as it was affected by more wind shear and cooler waters. The JTWC issued its final advisory on 9 February, as the system had dissipated. The outer bands of Freddy produced heavy rains in
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 ...
. A landslide triggered by these rains killed two people.


Tropical Low 11U


Tropical Low 12U


Tropical Low 14U

On 25 February, TCWC Darwin reported that a Tropical Low had 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, ...
west of Darwin,
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 ...
. JTWC forecasted the chance of this system becoming a tropical cyclone as "fair". The next early morning TCWC Perth begun issuing tropical cyclone advisories on the developing low, issuing a cyclone watch for the Pilbara coastal areas. On 26 February,
JTWC 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 ...
upgraded the system's chances to "good" and issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming ...
. The low made landfall over
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 Ha ...
without becoming a tropical cyclone. The tropical low dropped upwards of 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain along the Pilbara coast, causing minor flooding. Flood warnings and watches were issued for areas around several rivers, due to the rains.


Tropical Low Gabrielle

Gabrielle formed out of a low pressure system that quickly developed. It begin to move south east and soon weakened into a tropical low. It slowly tracked south and south westwardly, it slowly reintensified and gained tropical cyclone status. As an anticyclone possibly forming to the south of the system. This might have allowed the storm to strengthen a bit before dissipating over cooler waters later in the week, but it then unexpectedly turned the west and dissipated on 5 March. Bureau of Meteorology in Perth noted that in post-analysis determined that Gabrielle did not meet the minimum requirements of a tropical cyclone by the Australian definition. Gales were observed in one quadrant or another throughout most of Gabrielle's life but at no one time did they extend more than halfway around the low level circulation center.


Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish

On 4 March, a weak Tropical Low developed in an active trough located over the north western Coral Sea slowly moving south east. The low began to intensify despite its proximity to land. At 11pm EST (1100 UTC), the Tropical Low developed into Tropical Cyclone Hamish and convective band begin to develop. The next day, the cyclone strengthened into a Category 2 cyclone, and by the 11pm advisory, had strengthen further to a Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone and a defined eye showed on the satellite. Later that day it begin to affect the north eastern parts of
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_ ...
. On 7 March, Hamish was located approximately 230 kilometres from
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 ...
with the Bureau of Meteorology expecting Hamish to intensify into a Category 4 with the cyclone expecting to brush through 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 Sunday night or Monday morning. during that day Hamish had intensified to a Category 4 cyclone. Later that day the storm intensified into a Category 5 cyclone, the first since
Cyclone George Severe Tropical Cyclone George was one of the most powerful Australian tropical cyclones on record, attaining a minimum barometric pressure of 902 mbar ( hPa; 26.64 inHg). It was also the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2007 ...
, during its closest approach to
Hayman Island Hayman Island is the most northerly of the Whitsunday Islands, off the coast of Central Queensland in the locality of Whitsundays in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. The island is . It is a private island open to the public, most ...
. During 8 March, Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish weakened to a Category 4 cyclone. The cyclone was forecasted to make landfall near
Bundaberg Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
however the Bureau of Meteorology then expected Hamish not to make landfall and to continue to move in a south easterly direction and slowly weaken. A trawler caught in rough seas produced by the storm sent out a distress signal as it was overcome by the storm. Rescue attempts to retrieve the three crew members were hampered by Hamish and were called off but expected to resume of 10 March. On 10 March 11am EST (0100 UTC) Hamish had weakened to a Category 3 cyclone with the Bureau of Meteorology is expected that Hamish slow and continue to weaken. On 11 March 7am EST (2100 UTC) the Hamish weakened further to a Category 2 cyclone with the Bureau of Meteorology expected Hamish to continually be slow moving and weaken, with the cyclone beginning to move in a north west direction later in the day. The storm continued to weaken and BoM downgraded it to a tropical low later that day.


Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa

On 12 March, TCWC Darwin identified that a weak tropical low had formed 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 ...
. On 17 March, TCWC Perth began issuing shipping warnings for the developing tropical low. The low developed into Tropical Cyclone Ilsa late on 17 March. Ilsa became a Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone on the evening of 19 March and continued to intensify, despite predictions that Ilsa would weaken. Ilsa quickly strengthened the next morning to a Category 4 cyclone, despite predictions that the cyclone would weaken before reaching that intensity. Steady weakening began soon after; Ilsa was downgraded to a Category 3 cyclone on 20 March, and to Category 1 on 23 March. On 24 March, the cyclone was downgraded to a tropical low and advisories were discontinued.


Tropical Low 19U

On 19 March, TCWC Brisbane identified that a weak tropical low had formed in the Coral Sea near 13S, 153E. Conditions remained unfavourable for development and the storm rapidly dissipated. Forming in the same area as Cyclone Hamish did earlier in March, officials along the Sunshine Coast feared that it could track towards the disaster zones along the Queensland coast. The storm could hinder clean-up efforts of the large oil spill caused by Hamish. Another fear was that residents would panic upon hearing of another approaching cyclone, leading to unnecessary evacuations. Up to 68 mm (2.6 in) of rain fell in South Johnstone.


Tropical Cyclone Jasper

Early on 23 March the BoM started to monitor Tropical Low 20U that had developed within the monsoon trough, about to the northeast of Mackay in Queensland, Australia. The system subsequently moved southeastwards away from the Queensland coast, before it was named Jasper by the BoM later that day, after it had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone. During the next day as the system approached 160°E and the South Pacific Basin, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and assigned it the designation Tropical Cyclone 23P. As the system moved out of the basin the BoM reported that Jasper had peaked as a category 2 tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 95 km/h (60 mph).


Tropical Low 21U


Tropical Low 22U (15F)

Early on 11 April, Tropical Disturbance 15F moved into TCWC Brisbane's area of responsibility and was re-designated as Tropical Low 22U. Over the next couple of days, the disturbance remained weak as it moved towards the southern tip of Papua New Guinea. The tropical low then dissipated on 13 April.


Tropical Cyclone Kirrily

On 18 April, TCWC Darwin and TCWC Jakarta reported that a weak tropical low had developed within the Arafura Sea near the
Tanimbar Islands The Tanimbar Islands, also called ''Timur Laut'', are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku (province), Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. The largest and most central of the islands is Yamdena; others include Selaru to t ...
. Over the next week, the low remained weak as it moved towards the eastwards, before it turned towards the northwest during 25 April.
JTWC 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 ...
reported the system's chances forming into a significant Tropical Cyclone within 24 hours as "poor". Later on 26 April, JTWC upgraded the low's chances of forming from "poor" to "fair" and later in afternoon the low strengthened with JTWC upgrading the low from "fair" to "good" and issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming ...
. Joint Typhoon Warning Center designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 27S later on 27 April. In the afternoon, TCWC Darwin upgraded 23U to a Category 1 tropical cyclone and designated it as Tropical Cyclone Kirrily. Later that day, as it made landfall over
Aru Islands The Aru Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru) is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a po ...
, the low weakened slightly and JTWC downgraded Kirrily to tropical depression, and TCWC Darwin downgraded Kirrily to a tropical low. In the afternoon of the 27th, the JTWC again upgraded Kirrily into tropical storm. During 28 April the JTWC issued their final warning on Kirrily before the BoM downgraded the storm to a tropical low.


Tropical Low 24U

On 10 May, TCWC Perth started monitoring on a tropical low over 07S 98E. The system meandered for several days, until it was last mentioned in TCWC Perth's outlooks on 18 May.


Other systems

In addition to the systems included above, the remnants of Tropical Cyclones Bernard and Innis moved into the basin on 21 November and 18 February.


Seasonal effects

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See also

*
List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons Lists of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons provides regional indexes to lists of articles about tropical cyclone seasons that occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. They include: * South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone ** South-Wes ...
*Atlantic hurricane seasons:
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*Pacific hurricane seasons:
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*Pacific typhoon seasons:
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons:
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...


References


External links


Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC's Perth, Darwin & Brisbane)



Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
.

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Australian Region Cyclone Season Australian region cyclone seasons Articles which contain graphical timelines 2008 Aus 2009 Aus