Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcus was a very powerful
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 ...
that struck
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 ...
's
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 the
Kimberley region of Western Australia
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 and Tanami deserts in the region of the Pilbara, an ...
in March 2018. It was the strongest tropical cyclone of the
2017–18 Australian region cyclone season
The 2017–18 Australian region cyclone season was an average period of tropical cyclone Tropical cyclogenesis, formation in the Southern Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between 90°E and 160°E, with 11 named storms, which 3 intensified int ...
, as well as the strongest tropical cyclone in the Australian region basin since
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
in 2007. It was also considered the worst cyclone to hit
Darwin since
Tracy in 1974. It was also the strongest tropical cyclone since Tracy to hit Darwin, making
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 ...
there as a Category 2 tropical cyclone.
Marcus formed on March 14 from a tropical low situated over the northeast Timor Sea, which quickly moved southeast and strengthened into a tropical cyclone the next day.
Meteorological history
On 15 March 2018, a tropical low formed in the western
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 ...
. Drifting east-southeastwards north of the
Tiwi Islands
The Tiwi Islands ( tiw, Ratuati Irara meaning "two islands") are part of the Northern Territory, Australia, to the north of Darwin adjoining the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island, Bathurst Island, and nine smaller uninhabited islands, wi ...
, the tropical low strengthened into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the
Australian scale early on 16 March, and was accordingly
given the name ''Marcus''. In a generally favourable environment for intensification, Cyclone Marcus reached Category 2 status in the hours before it crossed the Northern Territory coastline, on 17 March.
On 16 March, Marcus moved down towards the Australian coast, and rapidly intensified before making landfall in Darwin as a weak Category 2 tropical cyclone.
Marcus intensified markedly upon moving away from the coast. Soon, the storm started to
rapidly intensify, and by 21 March, Marcus reached Category 5 tropical cyclone intensity.
However, after doing so, the storm began to rapidly weaken due to a combination of an
eyewall replacement cycle
In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...
, stronger wind shear, and cooler waters. Marcus continued to rapidly weaken as it moved southward. The system soon transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on March 25, though Marcus' remnant would continue moving southeastward for another couple of days. On March 27, the extratropical remnant of Marcus dissipated off the southwest coast of Australia.
Preparation and impact
Before the storm, on 15 March, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued cyclone warnings for Darwin, the Tiwi Islands, and parts of the northwest
Top End
The Top End of Australia's Northern Territory is a geographical region encompassing the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, which aside from the Cape York Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Australian continent. It covers a ra ...
.
Major events and flights in and out of Darwin were cancelled. Approximately 26,000 homes were affected by electricity outages as a result of the destructive winds, even in areas as far south as
Batchelor and
Adelaide River
The Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Course and features
The river rises in the Litchfield National Park and flows generally northwards to Clarence Strait, joined by eight tributaries including the west branch ...
.
Thousands of trees were destroyed across the Greater Darwin region including many African mahoganies planted after Cyclone Tracy for their fast growing and expansive shade qualities.
Public schools and non-essential public service agencies were closed while the clean-up efforts continued and tree trunks removed from roads.
Cyclone Marcus was the most destructive storm to hit Darwin since Cyclone Tracy caused devastation on Christmas Eve of 1974.
The insurance loss were over
A$85 million (US$65.6 million). In all, Marcus caused an estimated total of A$97.46 million (US$75 million) in damages.
The cleanup response was coordinated by the Northern Territory Emergency Services and included soldiers from the
5th Battalion and the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment of the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
. The US
Marine Rotational Force – Darwin
Marine Rotational Force-Darwin is a United States Marine Corps Marine Air-Ground Task Force based at Matilda Lines at Robertson Barracks and at RAAF Base Darwin.
On 16 November 2011, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and President Barack Obama announc ...
(MRF-D) also contributed to the cleanup effort.
Retirement
Due to the damage caused by the cyclone in Darwin and its subsequent intensification, the name ''Marcus'' was retired and was replaced with ''Marco''.
See also
*
Weather of 2017
The following is a list of weather events that occurred in 2017.
Summary by weather type
Winter storms and cold waves
Winter weather in 2017 kicked off with a winter storm from January 4-8. This winter storm causes six fatalities. Around a ...
and
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
Tropical cyclones in 2017
During 2017, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 146 tropical cyclones had formed. 88 tropical cyclones ha ...
and
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
1897 Darwin cyclone
The 1897 cyclone was a tropical cyclone that destroyed the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is considered the worst cyclone to strike the Northern Territory of Australia prior to Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Prior to contempor ...
– a cyclone that also caused severe damage in Darwin
*Similarly intense tropical cyclones in the Australian Region:
**
Cyclone Inigo
Cyclone Inigo is tied with Cyclone Gwenda for being the most intense recorded cyclone in the Australian region in terms of pressure, with the possible exception of Cyclone Mahina. Inigo developed from a tropical low that crossed eastern Indon ...
(2003)
**
Cyclone Gwenda (1999)
**
Cyclone Orson (1989)
References
External links
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcus
Category 5 Australian region cyclones
Tropical cyclones in Australia
2017–18 Australian region cyclone season
2018 natural disasters
History of Darwin, Northern Territory
Disasters in the Northern Territory
2010s in the Northern Territory
Marcus