The 2022–23 Australian region cyclone season was the fourth consecutive season to have below-average activity in terms of named storms. The season officially started on 1 November 2022 and finished on 30 April 2023, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 and would count towards the season total, as Tropical Cyclone 01U proved in July 26. During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored by one of the three
tropical cyclone warning centres (TCWCs) for the region which are operated by the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government that is responsible for providing weather forecasts and meteorological services to Australia and neighbouring countries. It was established in 1906 unde ...
, National Weather Service of
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
and the
Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics
Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (, abbreviated BMKG) is an Indonesian non-departmental government agency for meteorology, climatology, and geophysics.
History
Its history began on 1841 with individual observation conducted by ...
. The United States
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) and other national meteorological services including
Météo-France
Météo-France is the official French meteorological administration, also offering services to Andorra and Monaco. It has the powers of the state and can exercise them in relation to meteorology. Météo-France is in charge of observing, study ...
and the
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds of Nadi Airport in Nadi. The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funak ...
also monitored the basin during the season.
__TOC__
Season forecasts
During October 2022,
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Government of Australia, Australian Government that is responsible for providing Weather forecasting, weather forecasts and Meteorology, meteorological services to Australia a ...
(BoM), New Zealand's
MetService
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are ...
, and the
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA (), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences. It also maintai ...
(NIWA) issued its tropical cyclone outlook for the 2022–23 season.
The outlook called for an above-average number of tropical cyclones for the 2022–23 season, with eleven tropical cyclones, predicted to occur.
For the Australian region, the BoM predicted that the season would feature, only a 73% chance of more tropical cyclones.
For the Western region, it was predicted that activity would be above average, with a 69% chance of tropical cyclone activity.
The northern region and northwestern subregion would also see fewer tropical cyclones, with only a 61% and 70% chance of more tropical cyclones than average.
The BoM issued two seasonal forecasts for the Southern Pacific Ocean, for their self-defined eastern and western regions of the South Pacific Ocean.
They predicted that the South-West Pacific region between 142.5°E and 165°E, had a 65% chance of seeing activity above its average of 4 tropical cyclones.
The BoM also predicted that the South-East Pacific region between 165°E and 120°W, had a 43% chance of seeing activity above its average of 6 tropical cyclones.
Climate models also suggest that
El Niño Southern Oscillation
EL, El or el may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional entities
* El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit
* Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things''
* El, fami ...
(ENSO) will return to neutral conditions in 2023.
The BoM noted that
sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
anomalies across the equatorial Indian Ocean. Warmer-than-average waters are expected to persist to the north of Australia for the next three months, increasing the likelihood of tropical cyclones.
The BoM also predicted that the Eastern Region had a 74% chance of seeing activity above its average of 4 tropical cyclones.
These outlooks accounted included the state of the ENSO.
A lower average risk of tropical cyclones was predicted by NIWA for nations east of the International Date Line.
Season summary
The season officially begun on November 1, however a tropical low would form on 26 July, an exceptionally early start to the season.
The system would be assigned the name 01U and would produce gale-force winds and persistent deep convection for a couple of days before wind shear began to increase. In-post analysis, 01U was upgraded to a Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale). In November, tropical low ''02U'' was designated by the BoM and encountered marginally favorable conditions. The low was upgraded to ''Tropical Cyclone 04S'' by JTWC after tropical-storm-force winds were found.
Later in the month, a tropical low formed and was a long-lived system before dissipating on 26 November.
There was also another tropical low that formed in the
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia. It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea. The northern boundary ...
but did not develop further.
In December, tropical low ''05U'' formed, and was given the name ''Darian'' after intensifying into a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone. On 19 December, it became the first Severe Tropical Cyclone of the season. Throughout the day, the storm unexpectedly entered very favorable conditions, and underwent
rapid intensification
Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
. It reached Category 5 on the BoM's scale the next day, and peaked as a Category 4 on the SSHWS scale, later exiting into the South-west Indian Ocean Basin. Later that month, a tropical low formed, later intensifying into a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone and was named ''Ellie''. Ellie then later crossed the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
coast, 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 ...
at a sparsely populated location southwest of
Daly River at 13:30 UTC (11:00 pm
ACST).
Shortly after the landfall, the JTWC discontinued warnings on the system.
The next day, the BoM's released its last bulletin on Ellie, as the system weakened into a tropical low.
However, Ellie remained traceable,
as it moved southwest towards the
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
region throughout the rest of December. The BoM then gave the tropical low a moderate chance of redeveloping into a tropical cyclone on 1 January. The storm then moved southeast and further weakened as it moved inland once again. On 6 January, the BoM stated that Tropical Low ''07U'' formed from a monsoon trough over northeastern Australia. The JTWC later upgraded it to a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone (Australian Scale), and dubbed it as ''Cyclone 07P''. However, the BoM did not upgrade the system due to lacking a well-defined center. 07U later moved into the South Pacific basin and was named ''Hale.'' Later in January, a tropical low become ''06F'' in the South Pacific basin, and Tropical Lows ''10U'' and ''12U'' remained weak. In February, activity increased across the basin, with the formations of Tropical Low ''11U'', ''Freddy'', and ''Gabrielle.''
Freddy took advantage of the favorable conditions and intensified to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone.
Gabrielle also steadily intensified to a severe tropical cyclone as the cyclone headed southeast and moved into the South Pacific basin on 10 February. 11U exited the Australian Region basin and was named ''Dingani'' in the Southwest Indian Ocean basin. Freddy later rapidly intensified to a Category 4 on both the Australian and SSHWS scales.
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Another tropical low, ''15U'', formed on 11 February and lasted until 17 February. After 15U, a weak tropical low formed, followed by tropical lows ''16U'' and ''17U''. Another weak tropical low, ''18U'', formed on 27 February. 17U was last noted on 27 February, and on 1 March, 18U moved into the South Pacific basin, where it became ''
Kevin
Kevin is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; ; ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicised from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictiona ...
''. After a lull for a few weeks, tropical low ''20U'' formed and headed southwest before degenerating off the coast of Western Australia. Another tropical low formed and was named ''Herman'', which rapidly intensified to a Category 5 on the AUS scale with a warm and well-defined eye. Afterward, wind shear decoupled Herman and the cyclone dissipated.
Tropical low ''22U'' formed in the northern Arafura sea and dissipated. A
westerly wind burst
A westerly wind burst (WWB) or westerly wind event (WWE)https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Westerly_wind_burst is a phenomenon commonly associated with El Niño events, whereby the typical east-to-west trade winds across the equatorial Pacific shift ...
led to the formation of Tropical low ''23U''. After struggling against strong wind shear, the system was named ''Ilsa.'' The cyclone rapidly intensified due to jet interaction and peaked as a Category 5 both on the AUS and SSHWS scales before making landfall northeast of
Port Hedland
A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...
. A weak tropical low formed on 14 April. Another weak tropical low formed on 30 April.
Systems
Tropical Cyclone 01U
On 26 July, the
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Government of Australia, Australian Government that is responsible for providing Weather forecasting, weather forecasts and Meteorology, meteorological services to Australia a ...
(BoM) reported that a tropical low had formed due to an increase in monsoonal storm activity during the
Madden–Julian Oscillation
The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the largest element of the intraseasonal (30- to 90-day) variability in the tropical atmosphere. It was discovered in 1971 by Roland Madden and Paul Julian of the American National Center for Atmospheric ...
(MJO).
Deep convection became more pronounced and organized with an
upper-level trough around the center.
By 15:00 UTC on 28 July, 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) 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 formi ...
(TCFA) for the disturbance. The system was located in a favorable environment, with
sea surface temperatures
Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
ranging from 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, and the JTWC issued their first warning on the storm six hours later as ''Tropical Cyclone 01S''.
During post-storm analysis from the BoM, the system was upgraded into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on 29 July, although it remained unnamed.
01U reached its peak intensity with maximum 10-sustained winds of , before gradually weakening.
At 09:00 UTC on 31 July, the JTWC issued their final warning on the system. Later that day, 01U completely dissipated.
The cyclone would not cause damages to the
Cocos Islands
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (; ), are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and rel ...
despite near-gales occurring when it affected it.
Tropical Low 02U
On 1 November, the BoM began tracking a tropical low to the northwestern of the region. Satellite imagery revealed that the system was displaced from its center of circulation.
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Environmental conditions were assessed by the BoM as being unfavorable for significant intensification of the system. The system was assigned the official identifier code ''02U''.
Throughout the twelve hours, the system improved.
At 03:00 UTC on 3 November, the JTWC issued a TCFA, after noting its obscure
low-level circulation center
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of a tropical cyclone. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weath ...
(LLCC). Later that day, the JTWC subsequently initiated advisories on the system and classified it as ''Tropical Cyclone 04S''.
The system had a broad and fully exposed LLCC, although there was some thunderstorm activity associated with the system. The BoM would stop tracking the system on November 5. The system would briefly exit the basin and enter the South-West Indian Ocean basin the same day.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Darian
On 13 December, the BoM reported that Tropical Low 05U had formed approximately north of Cocos Islands, initially forecast to not develop further due to not conducive conditions. However, over the next 5 days, conditions improved, with vertical wind shear decreasing. At 11:30 UTC on 17 December, satellite imagery showed a partially exposed low-level center embedded in deep convection, prompting the JTWC's to issue a TCFA. On the next day, the system strengthened into a Category 1-cyclone on the
Australian scale, with BoM naming it ''Darian''. Later that day, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and classified it as ''Tropical Cyclone 05S''. The BoM's assessed the cyclone to have strengthened into a Category 2 cyclone on 19 December and later to Category 3 cyclone on the Australian scale. By 15:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded Darian to a Category 1-equivalent cyclone on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS), with maximum 1-sustained winds of .
Darian then strengthened to a Category 3 equivalent cyclone on the SSHWS in an environment of low wind shear, warm sea surface temperatures and good
upper-level poleward outflow, which led to the storm having a symmetric eye. The cyclone quickly intensified, and was upgraded to a Category 4 cyclone by the BoM. Similarly, the JTWC's further upgraded Darian to a Category 4-equivalent cyclone around 21:00 UTC, while exhibiting some
annular
Annulus (or anulus) or annular indicates a ring- or donut-shaped area or structure. It may refer to:
Human anatomy
* ''Anulus fibrosus disci intervertebralis'', spinal structure
* Annulus of Zinn, a.k.a. annular tendon or ''anulus tendineus com ...
characteristics. Darian continued to
rapidly intensify, and reached Category 5 intensity on the Australian scale at 00:00 UTC on 21 December. Later that day, it exited the basin and moved into the South-West Indian Ocean basin.
Tropical Cyclone Ellie
During late December, a strong pulse of the MJO tracked eastwards across the equatorial
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
, and approached Australian longitudes.
During 20 December, the BoM reported that a tropical low formed within the monsoon trough northwest of
Darwin in the Timor Sea. Initially located in a favorable environment for intensification, the disturbance began to encounter somewhat improved conditions.
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Satellite imagery indicated an improvement in the structure of the disturbance, with the system displaying an increase in flaring deep convection. The JTWC issued a TCFA for the system at 02:00 UTC on 22 December. The low was assigned the official identifier code ''06U''. By 09:00 UTC, the JTWC subsequently designated the storm as ''Tropical Cyclone 06S'', citing that convection quickly became better organized and more concentrated around the broad center. Later that day, the BoM's reported that the tropical low had developed into a Category 1-cyclone on the Australian scale and named it ''Ellie''. Ellie then later crossed the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
(NT) coast, 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 ...
at a sparsely populated location southwest of
Daly River at 13:30 UTC (11:00 pm
ACST).
Shortly after the landfall, the JTWC discontinued warnings on the system.
The next day, the BoM's released its last bulletin on Ellie, as the system weakened into a tropical low.
However, Ellie remained traceable,
as it moved southwest towards the
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
region throughout the rest of December. The BoM then gave the tropical low a moderate chance of redeveloping into a tropical cyclone on 1 January. However, they later downgraded its chances of redeveloping into very low, as the storm turned southeast further inland and was weakening.
Despite remaining overland, the system intensified, causing gales over the west of Kimberley. The cyclone, then referred to as "ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie", turned back into the Northern Territory on around 7 January,
and eventually dissipating over the southwest of the Northern Territory on 8 January.
In anticipation of Ellie, the BoM issued a tropical cyclone warning for the coast of
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
and
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
. The cyclone mainly caused torrential rainfall and gale-force wind gusts along the
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 ...
as it became a tropical cyclone.
Timber Creek experienced "once-in-50-year" flooding as the cyclone moved through the town by 24 December. Heavy rainfall led to water levels within the
Fitzroy River reaching , surpassing its 2002 record of . By January, the river was wide in some parts.
Flooding continued into January, with WA
Emergency Services Minister,
Stephen Dawson, saying that it was a "once in a century" flood crisis. Infrastructure was damaged and remote
Indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...
communities completely cut off. Defence personnel were deployed to 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 in t ...
in WA, three
RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...
aircraft were provided to evacuate residents, and five helicopters were despatched to help with the crisis.
Hardship payments were made by the state, territory and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
governments,
and Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese
Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
promised "massive infrastructure investment" when he visited the area afterwards.
Damage of Ellie was estimated to be
A$322 million (US$215 million).
Tropical Low 07U (Hale)
By 31 December, the BoM noted the potential of a tropical low forming over the
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...
, as the monsoon was forecast to strengthen further over the region. Three days later, the agency put a low chance for the potential low to develop into a tropical cyclone in the region. By 6 January, the BoM reported that Tropical Low 07U had developed approximately to the north-northeast of
Townsville
The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...
in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. The JTWC gave it a medium chance to develop into a tropical cyclone, before issuing a TCFA saying that the chance for the system to develop into a tropical cyclone was high 8 hours later. With a favorable environment of low wind shear, warm sea surface temperatures, and good radial outflow, the system intensified into a tropical cyclone late on the same day according to the JTWC, and designating it as ''07P''. The BoM did not upgrade 07U as such, citing that its center was elongated northwest to the southeast. 07U then later exited the basin and moved into the South Pacific basin.
Tropical Low 10U
On 19 January, the BoM noted that a tropical low may form within a monsoon trough that was forming over the Gulf of Carpentaria, and was expected to extend into 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 ...
. Over the next few days, the low slowly formed within the trough, and by 22 January, the agency reported that Tropical Low 10U had formed, approximately to the north of
Nhulunbuy
Nhulunbuy () is a town and locality in the far north of the Northern Territory of Australia. Founded on the Gove Peninsula in north-east Arnhem Land when a bauxite mine and deep water port were established in the late 1960s, the town's econ ...
. The tropical low moved generally westwards, and was last noted on 26 January while being located about west-northwest of
Kalumburu.
Tropical Low 11U (Dingani)
On 3 February, Tropical Low 11U developed close to the Australian Area of Responsibility (AOR) boundary and headed west toward Cocos Islands. The low continued to be weak as the conditions were unfavorable for development. 11U then continued southwest, intensifying significantly. 11U exited the basin towards the South-West Indian Ocean on 9 February.
Tropical Low 12U
On 30 January, the BoM highlighted that a weak low could form near
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...
, as the monsoon trough began to be more active across the tropics. By the next day, the weak low formed within the trough, and the agency classified it as ''12U''. For the next few days, the low moved slowly, before encountering unfavorable conditions for development by 3 February. The BoM last noted 12U about to the south of Christmas Island on the next day.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Freddy
On 4 February, the BoM reported that a Tropical Low 13U had formed during an active phase of the MJO in conjunction with an equatorial
Rossby wave
Rossby waves, also known as planetary waves, are a type of inertial wave naturally occurring in rotating fluids. They were first identified by Sweden-born American meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Arvid Rossby in the Earth's atmosphere in 1939. They ...
,
while it was situated to the south of the
Indonesian archipelago.
Afterwards, the JTWC issued a TCFA, noting that the disturbance was located in a favourable environment. Deep convection increased and the system became a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale by 12:00 UTC; the BoM
assigned it the name ''Freddy''.
Freddy then rapidly intensified and developed an
eye
An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system.
In higher organisms, the ey ...
feature on microwave imagery, leading the JTWC to classify it as having near-equivalent intensity around 15:00 UTC on 7 February.
After its first peak, the system became increasingly susceptible to wind shear and dry air intrusion,
causing Freddy to weaken back into a minimal tropical storm by 09:00 UTC on 9 February. Freddy's deep convection around the storm's center had significantly decreased.
Conditions became more favorable for development as wind shear decreased and deep convection began to consolidate and wrap around the cyclone.
Consequently, the cyclone quickly restrengthened with the storm becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone—attaining an initial peak intensity with winds of —and at 18:00 UTC on 11 February, Freddy reached its second peak intensity as a high-end Category 4 severe tropical cyclone in the Australian basin, with winds of and a central
barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1,013.2 ...
of .
Freddy's structure continued to gradually weaken before moving over the
South-West Indian Ocean.
At around 12:00 UTC on 14 February, the BoM passed the responsibility of tracking the system over to the MFR. Thus, the system was initially classified as a
tropical cyclone status before being later upgraded to
intense tropical cyclone status around 18:00 UTC that day.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle
On 5 February, a tropical low formed in the Coral Sea south of the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
.
At around the same time, the system's LLCC was exposed with persistent disorganized convection. Over the next day, as the system moved southwards, it developed further, with satellite imagery showing an increase in the cyclonic curvature of the convection. Later at 06:00 UTC, the JTWC issued a TCFA, after noting its obscure LLC. By 03:00 UTC on 8 February, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and classified it as ''Tropical Cyclone 12P'', when the fragmented banding was wrapping broadly into the exposed consolidating LLC. Late on the same day, the BoM reported that the tropical low had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone and named it ''Gabrielle''.
The cyclone slowly drifted southwards while deep convection consolidated, and the system was upgraded into a Category 2 tropical cyclone, while the JTWC upgraded Gabrielle to the equivalent of a low-end Category 1-equivalent cyclone with winds of . By 18:00 UTC on 9 February, the storm continued to intensify and soon became a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Later the next day, it exited the basin and moved into the South Pacific basin, where it became a Category 2-equivalent cyclone.
Tropical Low 15U
On 11 February, the BoM reported that Tropical Low 15U was forming over the eastern
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 ...
. The JTWC had also begun monitoring the disturbance, which the agency classified it by the code identifier ''Invest 91P'', and gave it a low chance for development. The next day, the JTWC later upgraded the system's chance for development to medium. The BoM later assessed 15U to still be a weak tropical low, and gave it a low chance for development. The low then moved slowly southeastwards, before moving inland on 16 February and being last noted on the BoM's tropical cyclone outlooks by the next day.
Tropical Low 16U
On 22 February, Tropical Low 16U formed to the north of
Port Hedland
A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...
and slowly drifted northeast.
Even though the low did not intensify into a tropical cyclone,
Troughton Island briefly experienced gales on 27 February in the late afternoon and early evening.
Over the
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
Queensland
* Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas
South Australia
* County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia
Ta ...
and into the Northern Territory, the low kept moving east.
The low traveled in the Northern Territory.
During 5–6 March, the low traveled over the Gulf of Carpentaria, and on the next day, it returned to land over northwestern
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
.
The system finally dissipated on 10 March.
The main highway connecting Western Australia and the Northern Territory was closed due to flooding caused by heavy rains in rivers and on roadways.
Due to the flooding of homes and essential services, around 700 people were initially displaced from numerous towns in the Northern Territory;
300 of these people were affected for more than a month.
Record-breaking flooding in northwest Queensland led to evacuations and severely inundated numerous rural residences as well as certain towns, including
Burketown
Burketown is an isolated outback town and coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Cairns and west of Normanton, Queensland, Normanton on the Albert River (Gulf Sa ...
,
Urandangi
Urandangi (formerly also spelled Urandangie) is an outback town in the locality of Piturie in the Shire of Boulia, Queensland, Australia.
Geography
The town is located on the banks of the Georgina River in Central West Queensland, north ...
, and
Camooweal
Camooweal is an outback town and locality in the City of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the Queensland border with the Northern Territory. In the , the locality of Camooweal had a population of 236 people.
Geography
The ...
.
The media covered the enormous road and property damage, as well as the massive cattle losses, that occurred in the area.
Tropical Low 17U
On 24 February, the BoM reported that a weak tropical low which they classified as 17U was located over land to the south of 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 (18 ...
. 17U was last noted on 27 February.
Tropical Low 18U (Kevin)
On 27 February, a weak tropical low formed off the coast in Queensland. The BoM designated it as 18U. The JTWC began monitoring the tropical low and setting the chance of tropical cyclone development as low. On 1 March, the JTWC issued a TCFA on the system due to the system having much improved structure. The tropical low entered the
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
basin the same day where it became designated as Tropical Depression 09F by the FMS.
Tropical Low 20U
A tropical low formed on 25 March near
East Timor
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
. It headed generally southwestward before dissipating on 30 March.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Herman
On 28 March, a weak tropical low formed to the north of the Cocos Islands and traveled southeast over open seas.
Satellite imagery showed that flaring convection which was circulating over the obscured LLCC.
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Later the next day, the JTWC issued a TCFA, and upgraded the system to a ''Tropical Cyclone 17S''. Later that day, the BoM reported that the tropical low had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale and named it ''Herman''. Later, the BoM's assessed the cyclone to have strengthened into a Category 2 tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained winds of . Herman intensified further with an eye feature starting to appear on microwave imagery. Multispectral animated satellite imagery revealed an exposed LLCC with deep convection persisting along the western periphery of the LLCC and reaching 1-minute maximum sustained winds of . Herman had further intensified to a Category 4 cyclone with a well-defined eye.
Continuing to rapidly intensify, Herman then strengthened into a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone,
with 10-minute average winds of . Herman saw less favorable conditions on 1 April after peaking on 31 March as dry air was swallowed into the circulation.
Herman was highly compact, with a distinct eye surrounded by cold cloud tops. The storm continued to weaken, the BoM's estimated winds of . Herman became increasingly ragged and elongated as deep convection diminished and started to become displaced. During 2 April, while continuing to weaken, both the BoM and JTWC ceased issuing advisories. By this time, the system had turned west and was dissipating over the open waters of the Indian Ocean on 4 April.
Tropical Low 22U
On 30 March, the BoM reported that Tropical Low 22U had formed over the northern Arafura Sea. The system remained weak as it moved west-southwest, before degenerating on 2 April.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa
On April 6, a tropical low formed in the Timor Sea as a result of an active burst of the monsoon trough.
The JTWC later issued a TCFA on the next day. During the following day, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and classified it as ''Tropical Cyclone 18S''. The low drifted slowly southwest during the next several days, although development was delayed by unfavorable environmental condition.
When conditions improved, the low developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone and was named ''Ilsa''.
The next day, it intensified into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone while also being upgraded to a Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.
Later the next day, the BoM assessed the storm to have attained ten-minute sustained winds of , ranking it as a Category 4-cyclone. On 13 April, the JTWC also assessed Ilsa to have attained an intensity equivalent to a Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. Later that day, Ilsa strengthened further to its peak intensity as a Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone with 1-minute sustained winds of . An automated weather station on
Rowley Shoals
The Rowley Shoals is a group of three atoll-like coral reefs south of the Timor Sea, about west of Broome on the northwestern Australian coast, centred on , on the edge of one of the widest continental shelves in the world. Each atoll covers a ...
recorded wind gusts up to .
Later that same day, Ilsa had become a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone with sustained winds of . A record-breaking
ten-minute sustained wind speed of was measured at
Bedout Island
Bedout Island is a small Western Australian island on the Pilbara coast. It lies offshore from Larrey Point and the mouth of the De Grey River, and north-east of Port Hedland.
It was named by Baudin expedition to Australia, Baudin during his ...
, beating the previous record of
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 ...
in 2007.
The cyclone crossed the coast about northeast of
Port Hedland
A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...
on 16:00 UTC, with sustained winds of . Shortly after the landfall, the JTWC discontinued warnings on the system. While over
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, Ilsa weakened to a low-end tropical cyclone with winds. Ilsa was last noted on 15 April.
Other systems
* On 15 November, the BoM reported a weak tropical low near southern
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. The JTWC released a TCFA stating that the low could intensify soon and called it ''Invest 94S''.
The next day, the JTWC canceled its TCFA and lowered its chances to low. It continued to move eastwards before being last noted on 24 November.
* On 30 November, the BoM reported that a weak tropical low had developed along a trough over central
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia. It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea. The northern boundary ...
.
It generally moved southeast before being last noted by BoM on 2 December, near the western
Cape York Peninsula
The Cape York Peninsula is a peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth's last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación Sierra Madre, ...
.
* On 13 January, the BoM noted the potential of a tropical low forming in the eastern Coral Sea. By the next day, the
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds of Nadi Airport in Nadi. The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funak ...
(FMS) designated the potential low as Tropical Disturbance 05F, while it was still in the BoM's area of responsibility. 05F briefly entered the South Pacific basin on 15 January, before subsequently moving back into the region late by the same day. On 16 January, the BoM upgraded 05F into a weak tropical low. The JTWC issued a TCFA on the system on 17 January, stating its chance to develop into a tropical cyclone was high. Later that day, it exited the basin again and moved into the
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
basin.
* On 15 January, the BoM noted the potential of another tropical low forming, this time in the northern Coral Sea, within a monsoon trough that was expected to form. Two days later, the agency reported that the tropical low had formed, and gave it a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the basin. The JTWC subsequently issued a TCFA the next day. Continuing southeastwards, the tropical low then exited the basin and into the South Pacific basin on 20 January, where it was immediately designated as
Tropical Depression 06F by the FMS.
* On 17 February, the BoM reported that a weak tropical low had formed within a trough, south of Indonesia. It was last noted the next day.
* On 30 April, a weak tropical low southeast of
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...
was noted by the BoM in their daily bulletins. Environmental conditions were not favorable for further development of the low as it tracked westward. The tropical low was last noted to have weakened into the trough on 2 May.
Storm names
Bureau of Meteorology
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC Melbourne) monitors all tropical cyclones that form within the Australian region, including any within the areas of responsibility of TCWC
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
or 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 ...
.
Should a tropical low reach tropical cyclone strength within the BoM's area of responsibility, it will be assigned the next name from the following naming list.
The names ''Darian'' and ''Herman'' were used for the first time this season, after replacing ''
Dominic
Dominic, Dominik or Dominick is a male given name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master".
The most promi ...
'' and ''
Hamish
Hamish is a Scottish masculine given name. It is the anglicized form of the vocative case of the Gaelic name '' Seamus'' or ''Sheumais''. It is therefore, the equivalent of James.
People Given name
* Hamish Bennett, retired New Zealand cricke ...
'' respectively, from the
2008–09 season.
The names that were used for 2022–23 season are listed below:
TCWC Jakarta
TCWC Jakarta monitors all tropical cyclones active from the Equator to 11S and from 90E to 145E. Should a tropical depression intensify into a tropical cyclone within TCWC Jakarta's Area of Responsibility, it will be assigned the next name from the following list. For the first time since the
2016–17 season, no names were used.
TCWC Port Moresby
Tropical cyclones that develop north of 11°S between 151°E and 160°E are assigned names by 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 ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
. Tropical cyclone formation in this area is rare, with no cyclones being named in it since
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
.
As names are assigned in a random order, the whole list is shown below:
Retirement
Later in 2023, the World Meteorological Organisations RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee retired the names ''Gabrielle'' and ''Ilsa'', replacing them with the names ''Gemm'' and'' Isabella '' respectively, due to the damage caused by both systems in Western Australia and the South Pacific. The name ''Freddy'' was also removed from the rotating lists of Australian region cyclone names due to its devastating impacts in southern Africa, and it will never be used to name a storm in that basin again. A replacement name is yet to be announced.
Season effects
See also
*
Weather of 2022 and
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
List of Southern Hemisphere cyclone seasons
The tropical cyclone seasons that occur in the Southern Hemisphere are:
*South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone
**Current – South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
*Australian region tropical cyclone
An Australian region tropical cyclone ...
*
List of off-season Australian region tropical cyclones
*Tropical cyclones in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*Atlantic hurricane seasons:
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*Pacific hurricane seasons:
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*Pacific typhoon seasons:
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons:
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
2022–23 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 2022–23 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the costliest and deadliest South-West Indian cyclone seasons on record, mostly due to Cyclone Freddy. It officially began on 15 November 2022, and ended on 30 April 2023, with the e ...
*
2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
The 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average but very destructive tropical cyclone season that featured one of the costliest tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on record. The season officially started on November 1, 2 ...
References
External links
Australian Bureau of MeteorologyTropical Cyclone Warning Center Jakarta
Papua New Guinea National Weather Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:2022-23 Australian region cyclone season
Australian region cyclone seasons
2022 meteorology
Tropical cyclones in 2022
2022–23 Australian region cyclone season
2023 meteorology
Tropical cyclones in 2023