The 1972–73 Australian region cyclone season was an above-average

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

season, in terms of activity. Additionally, it is also the deadliest tropical cyclone season recorded in the Australian region, with the Flores cyclone killing an estimated 1,650 people alone, making it single-deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

Season summary

Systems

Tropical Cyclone Ivy-Beatrice

Tropical Cyclone Ivy developed over the eastern Indian Ocean on 7 December. The cyclone entered the southwest Indian Ocean basin after crossing 80°E and was renamed Beatrice.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jean

On 10 January Jean developed northwest 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 ...

. It strengthened into a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone, before being last noted on 17 January.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kerry

At Wickham on 21 January 1973 more than 30 houses were partly unroofed and some houses received major damage. There was no damage to buildings in Dampier, Roebourne or Karratha as the cyclone crossed the coast well to the east. Kerry passed close to a number of oil-drilling rigs causing damage and lost productivity time that cost over one million dollars. Maximum recorded gust was 140 km/h at Cape Lambert.

Tropical Cyclone Leila-Gertrude

Tropical Cyclone Leila formed offshore Western Australia on 21 January. Moving generally westward, the storm crossed 80°E on 23 January and was renamed Gertrude.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Adeline

Tropical Cyclone Adeline developed 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 ...

on 27 January. Moving south-southwestward, Adeline made landfall near 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 ...

–

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 ...

border, shortly before dissipating on 29 January.

Tropical Cyclone Maud

Tropical Cyclone Maud existed offshore Western Australia from 28 January to 31 January.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirsty

Tropical Cyclone Kirsty developed southwest 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 ...

on 24 February. Heading generally southward, Kirsty dissipated well east of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

on 1 March.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Leah

The next system, Cyclone Leah, formed near the coast of Western Australia on 27 February. Moving southwestward, Leah eventually dissipated on 11 March.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Madge

Cyclone Madge, the strongest tropical cyclone of the season, originated in the vicinity of the Solomon Islands on 28 February. Tracking west-southwestward, Madge struck the

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, ...

early on 4 March. By late the following day, the cyclone made landfall near

Numbulwar Numbulwar, formerly known as Rose River Mission, is a small, primarily Aboriginal community on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory of Australia. The major language group of the community is Nunggubuyu and their language, Wubuy, ...

, Northern Territory. Moving across Northern Territory and Queensland, Madge emerged into the Indian Ocean on 10 March. The storm headed generally westward for the next several days, until dissipating on 18 March.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Nellie

On 13 March Cyclone Nellie formed offshore Queensland. It moved generally west-southwestward before dissipated on 23 March.

Tropical Cyclone Bella

Cyclone Bella developed over 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 20 March. It struck North Territory before dissipating on 25 March.

Tropical Cyclone Paula

The next system, Cyclone Paula, formed southwest of

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, ...

on 16 March. Paula moved southwestward and dissipated about six days later.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Thirteen

The most intense tropical cyclone of the season developed in the

Banda Sea The Banda Sea (, , ) is one of four seas that surround the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, connected to the Pacific Ocean, but surrounded by hundreds of islands, including Timor, as well as the Halmahera Sea, Halmahera and Ceram Seas. It is about ...

on 26 April. The storm peaked with a barometric pressure of . The storm struck the island of

Flores Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Administratively, it forms the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province. The area is 14,250 km2. Including Komodo and Rinca islands ...

before dissipating on 29 April. Widespread destruction of houses, schools, and bridges was reported in four of the island's districts. 53 on Flores were killed, and 21 perished in the sinking of a Timorese fishing ship, the ''O Arbiru''. Additionally, over 1,500 fisherman were reported lost at sea. The area's remoteness kept information about the cyclone's effects from reaching the news for over a month. The storm killed a total of 1,650 people, making it the deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcelle

Marcelle, the final tropical cyclone of the season, developed well west of Indonesia on 29 April. The storm struck near

Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destin ...

, Western Australia late on 7 May. Marcelle dissipated well south of Australia about two days later.

References

Australian region cyclone seasons

Aust Aust is a small village in South Gloucestershire, England, about north of Bristol and about south west of Gloucester. It is located on the eastern side of the Severn estuary, close to the eastern end of the Severn Bridge which carries the M48 ...

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