2007–08 Australian Region Cyclone Season

The 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below-average tropical cyclone season. The season began with an early start, with the formation of the first tropical cyclone on 29 July, which was only recognized as a tropical cyclone during post-season analysis. This was the second time that a tropical cyclone had formed during July. The other one was Cyclone Lindsay in the 1996–1997 season. The next tropical cyclone that formed was Cyclone Guba, which formed on 13 November with TCWC Port Moresby assigning the name Guba on 14 November, which was the first named storm within TCWC Port Moresby's area of responsibility since Cyclone Epi in June 2003. Guba was also the first cyclone to occur in the Queensland region in November since 1977.

Tropical Cyclone Lee also formed on 13 November and was named by TCWC Perth on 14 November, with the system moving into RSMC Réunion's area of responsibility and being renamed Ariel. The next Cyclone to form within the Australian region was Melanie, which formed on 27 December and was named on the 28th by TCWC Perth. Melanie was the first storm of the season to require cyclone watches, and warnings were issued for the Pilbara coast, but it had weakened into a low-pressure area before it made landfall.

Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to form in 2008, in the Southern Hemisphere, forming in TCWC Darwin's area of responsibility. Helen marked the first time that Darwin had experienced a tropical cyclone since Cyclone Gretel in the 1984–85 season. Cyclone Nicholas made landfall north of Carnarvon on 20 February as a category one cyclone. Cyclone Ophelia actually formed in TCWC Darwin's area of responsibility, but had moved into TCWC Perth's area when it was named. Tropical Cyclone Pancho formed on 23 March to the south of Christmas Island, and was named by TCWC Perth on 25 March; the system eventually reached category 4 status, with winds of .

In April 2008, Tropical Cyclones Rosie and Durga were the first tropical depressions to be monitored within TCWC Jakarta's area of responsibility and Durga was also the first storm to reach tropical cyclone status and named whilst being monitored by TCWC Jakarta. Durga was also the last storm of the season, which officially ended on 30 April.

Seasonal summary

Systems

Tropical Cyclone 01U

On 29 July, an area of low pressure, close to the edge of RSMC La Reunion's Area of responsibility, was designated as Tropical Disturbance 01R. However, this number was withdrawn in RSMC La Reunion's post–storm analysis. The JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the developing system on 29 July, and initiated warnings on the tropical cyclone late that day, designating it as Tropical Cyclone 01S. However, by this time, the cyclone had crossed 90E and entered TCWC Perth's Area of Responsibility, which designated it as a Tropical Low and issued shipping warnings on the Tropical Low. Early on 30 July, the tropical cyclone began to dissipate, so the JTWC issued their final advisory on the system on that day.JTWC Advisory 2
/ref> and the Bureau of Meteorology issued its last warning the next day.

During post–storm analysis, The Bureau of Meteorology upgraded the tropical low to a tropical cyclone in its post-storm analysis, with maximum 10-min sustained winds of 75 km/h (45 mph), based on QuikSCAT observations. The cyclone was estimated to have reached tropical cyclone intensity from 29 to 30 July.

The tropical cyclone is the second on record to exist in the Western Australian region in July, the other being Cyclone Lindsay in 1996.

Tropical Cyclone Lee–Ariel

On 13 November, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Perth began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low that was located within the area of responsibility of TCWC Jakarta. tp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Australia/2007111307.WTAUT Gale Warning for the Western Area: Tropical Low Bureau of Meteorology (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. On 14 November, TCWC Perth upgraded the tropical low to tropical cyclone status and assigned it the name Lee, while the cyclone was still in TCWC Jakarta's area of responsibility. tp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Australia/2007111413.WTAUT Storm Force Wind Warning for the Western Area: Tropical Cyclone Lee Bureau of Meteorology 14 November 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2007. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on Tropical Cyclone Lee, and then designated the storm as Tropical Cyclone 03S shortly after. The TCWC in Perth upgraded Lee to category 2 on 15 November. Later that day, TCWC Perth issued its final advisory on Lee as it crossed west of 90°E, and the system was renamed Severe Tropical Storm Ariel by the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius; see Tropical Storm Lee–Ariel.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Guba

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Brisbane began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low which was located near the southern Papua New Guinea mainland on 13 November 2007,Gale Warning for North Eastern Area: Tropical Low
Bureau of Meteorology (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 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.Tropical Cyclone 02P Warning NR 001
JTWC (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. TCWC Brisbane initiated tropical cyclone advisories on the tropical low early on 14 November. Shortly after, TCWC Brisbane upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone Guba, which was a name assigned by the TCWC in Port Moresby.Gale Warning for North Eastern Area: Tropical Cyclone Guba
Bureau of Meteorology (14 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. Guba drifted erratically off the Queensland coast for the next two days, and intensified on 16 November, becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Guba was a small, but intense system, forming a well-defined eye. Guba began weakening on 17 November as it started to accelerate to the west towards the Queensland coast. However, it later turned northwards, avoiding the Australian mainland, then north-east while it continued to weaken. TCWC Brisbane downgraded Guba below tropical cyclone strength, and issued its last advisory early on 20 November.

Flooding in Papua New Guinea led to at least 150 deaths.At least 150 dead in PNG floods
, BBC
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