Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay was an intense late-season

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 ...

which struck

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 ...

during the

2003–04 Australian region cyclone season The 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It began on 1 November 2003 and ended on 30 April 2004. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a ''tropical cyclone year'' s ...

. Forming from 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 ...

on 12 March, Fay was the only Category 5 cyclone during the season. The system had a minimum pressure of 910 mbar (hPa; 26.87 inHg) and

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

s of . Moving towards the southwest and eventually towards the south, Fay gradually strengthened as it paralleled the northwestern coast of Australia, and made landfall on 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 on the morning of 27 March as a Category 4 cyclone. While no fatalities were reported, the cyclone brought record-breaking rainfall to Australia, which led to a sharp decrease in the country's gold output. The cyclone also caused minor damage in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In the spring of 2005, 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 ...

retired the name ''Fay'' from use, and it will never be used again as a cyclone name.

Meteorological history

The

low-pressure system 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 ...

that later developed into Fay formed 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 ...

on 12 March 2004. Through 15 March satellite imagery indicated increasing convection and organisation of the system, as well as decreasing wind sheer aloft, adding to the favourable conditions for strengthening. On 16 March, the system was designated Tropical Cyclone 18S by 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 ...

, with winds of . The system then crossed Melville and Bathurst Islands and moved into 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, ...

, where it intensified, and was given the name Fay by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Fay began to turn southward on 17 March; simultaneously, the cyclone continued to intensify due to a weakening of vertical

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 ...

, and well-defined

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 ...

became apparent on satellite imagery. The following day, a steering

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 ...

to the south of the system strengthened and pushed the cyclone away from the coast and to the northwest. At the same time, the system continued to intensify due to the favourable environment in the upper atmosphere. However, hot, dry air flowing into the system from the south, combined with vertical wind sheer, kept the storm from strengthening as much at its maximum potential rate. By 19 March Fay's track had turned to the west-southwest, and over the next day it continued to strengthen in due to favourable upper-level outflow and weak vertical sheer. On 21 March, Fay became a Category 5 cyclone on the Australian Region Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale. A mid-latitude trough caused the steering ridge to weaken, and subsequently, Fay to turn to the south. Over the next two days, the environmental shear around the cyclone decreased, which would normally have led to intensification; however, as the shear decreased, the cyclone also moved over an area of dry air, weakening the system. By 23 March, Fay had moved in a loop, and the system weakened to a Category 2. Over the next day, favourable outflow counteracted the dry air that had weakened the system, and a banding eye feature was observed on satellite imagery. Fay then encountered moister air as it moved southward, leading it to re-intensify on 25 March. A weak eye of 10 nm was observed on 26 March which grew to 15 nm as the day went on. Strengthening into a Category 4 system early on 27 March, Fay made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

on the

coast between 8 am and 9 am AWST (0000 and 0100 UTC) with winds of , weakening below cyclone strength somewhere between the towns of Nullagine and Telfer.

Preparations and impact

Evacuation centres were set up in the

Kimberley region The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy Desert, Great Sandy and Tanami Desert, Tanami deserts ...

of Western Australia. Schools and businesses were also closed, and flights in and out of the area were cancelled. Shelters were set up for people who could not take shelter in their own homes. Residents of the

Bidyadanga Bidyadanga, also known as La Grange, is the largest Aboriginal community in Western Australia, with a population of approximately 750 residents. It is located south of Broome and from the state capital Perth, in the Kimberley region. The t ...

Aboriginal community were warned of particularly dangerous storm tide as the centre of the cyclone passed to their west. The communities of Sandfire and Pardoo were also warned of dangerous storm tide. Cyclone warnings were issued for areas threatened by the system, and communities in the path of the system were warned of expected high rainfall, as amounts greater than were expected. Minor damage to buildings and limited tree damage were reported in the vicinity 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 Ham ...

. In the town of Nullagine, 120 residents were evacuated to the town's police station, as heavy rain caused flooding. Flooding of the De Grey and

Oakover Oakover is a historic building in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Himchal Pradesh, India. One of the earliest houses built in Shimla, it is the official residence of Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. History A British era building Oakover prev ...

Rivers led to the town being segmented into 4 sections. As the system passed near the

Yarrie mine The Yarrie mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 90 kilometres north-east of Marble Bar. The mine is majority-owned (85 percent) and damaged the rail line connecting the mine to Port Hedland. Heavy rainfall was reported along the track of the cyclone, with a two-day total of reported at the Nifty Copper Mine and reported in Telfer. The rain from the cyclone delayed the construction of a gas pipeline at the mine for over 7 months, while the pipeline company waited for the floodwaters to dissipate. According to

Newcrest Mining Newcrest Mining Limited is an Australian-based corporation which engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and gold-copper concentrate. It is Australia's leading gold mining company and its operations have expanded beyon ...

, the rainfall amounts at Telfer exceeded the records going back at least 100 years. The heavy rainfall from both

Cyclone Monty Severe Tropical Cyclone Monty was a powerful category 4 tropical cyclone that formed during late February 2004. Monty was the 6th tropical cyclone and the 3rd Severe tropical cyclone of the 2003-04 Australian region cyclone season. Monty made lan ...

in February and Cyclone Fay caused gold output in Australia for the quarter to be the lowest in 10 years. A survey performed by the

Australian Institute of Marine Science The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is a tropical marine research centre located primarily at Cape Ferguson in the locality of Cape Cleveland, City of Townsville Queensland, Australia. It is around from Townsville. Established ...

discovered that the Scott Reef suffered "severe damage," and many coral colonies were uprooted or damaged. Because of the record-breaking rainfall produced across northwestern Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology retired the name ''Fay'' after its usage.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fay 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season 2004 in Australia Retired Australian region cyclones Category 5 Australian region cyclones

Fay A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

See also

References

External links