The 2006–07 Australian region cyclone season was a below average

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. Dep ...

season. It began on 1 November 2006 and ended on 30 April 2007; however, Tropical Cyclone Pierre formed on 17 May, after the official end date. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a ''tropical cyclone year'' separately from a ''tropical cyclone season'', which runs from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. Tropical cyclones in this area are monitored by four

Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as ...

s (TCWCs): the

Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...

, and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

; and 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 ...

in Papua New Guinea.http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/TCP24-English2004.pdf __TOC__

Systems

ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/12/2007 till:01/06/2008 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/12/2007 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<63_km/h_(<39_mph) id:C1 value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Category_1_=_63-87_km/h_(39-54_mph) id:C2 value:rgb(0.80,1,1) legend:Category_2_=_88-142_km/h_(55-74_mph) id:C3 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_3_=_143-158-km/h_(75-98_mph) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_4_=_159-204_km/h_(99-127_mph) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥205_km/h_(≥128_mph) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:30/12/2007 till:05/01/2008 color:TD text:"Isobel (TL)" from:05/02/2008 till:07/02/2008 color:C2 text:"Nelson (C2)" from:05/02/2008 till:08/02/2008 color:TD text:"Low (TL)" from:19/02/2008 till:20/02/2008 color:TD text:"Humba (TL)" from:02/03/2008 till:05/03/2008 color:TD text:"Odette (TL)" from:03/03/2008 till:10/03/2008 color:C5 text:" George (C5)" from:03/03/2008 till:12/03/2008 color:C3 text:"Jacob (C3)" barset:break from:23/03/2008 till:30/03/2008 color:C3 text:"Kara (C3)" from:15/05/2008 till:21/05/2008 color:C1 text:"Pierre (C1)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/12/2007 till:01/01/2008 text:December from:01/01/2008 till:01/02/2008 text:January from:01/02/2008 till:01/03/2008 text:February from:01/03/2008 till:01/04/2008 text:March from:01/04/2008 till:01/05/2008 text:April from:01/05/2008 till:01/06/2008 text:May TextData = pos:(569,23) text:"(For further details, please see" pos:(713,23) text:"

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...

Tropical Low Isobel

An area of increased

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...

activity south of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

was first spotted on 29 December 2006, when the

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 ...

(BOM) noted that a weak tropical low could develop in the area. Late on 31 December, the BOM began issuing advisories on the tropical low. 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 ...

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 ...

on the system early on 2 January 2007, and the

upgraded it to a tropical cyclone later that morning, naming it Isobel. The JTWC followed suit and designated the system Tropical Cyclone 07S. Isobel was downgraded to a tropical low shortly after landfall over the Eighty Mile Beach on 3 January and advisories were stopped at 0600 UTC that morning. The remnants of Isobel merged with a deep

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 ...

near the southern coast of Western Australia, dumping 100 mm of torrential rain, in what was dubbed a "

perfect storm A perfect storm is a meteorological event aggravated by a rare combination of circumstances. The term is used by analogy to an unusually severe storm that results from a rare combination of meteorological phenomena. Origin The Oxford English Dic ...

". The extratropical system halted mining operations and unleashed winds of up to 120 km/h. After the system dissipated, the BOM de-classified Isobel as a tropical cyclone as post-storm analysis showed that it did not have a well enough defined center to qualify as a tropical cyclone.

Tropical Cyclone Nelson

On 30 January, a tropical low was identified by the

. It deepened as it moved east just north of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

coastline and a cyclone watch was declared for eastern parts of the Northern Territory on 31 January. Cyclone warnings were issued on 1 February in the same area, while cyclone watches extended to most areas surrounding 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 ...

. The

issued a

(TCFA) on the developing low on 1 February. However, this was cancelled on 3 February after the low showed no signs of developing. The low tracked to the southwest and approached the southern coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria, before moving eastwards towards

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. On 5 February, the JTWC reissued their TCFA on the system, while the

upgraded the system to

status, naming it Nelson, as well as issuing cyclone warnings for the Queensland coast surrounding the Gulf. The cyclone intensified to a Category 2 on the

Australian scale Tropical cyclones are ranked on one of five tropical cyclone intensity scales, according to their maximum sustained winds and which tropical cyclone basins they are located in. Only a few scales of classifications are used officially by the m ...

late on 6 February and peaked while crossing the coast with gusts reaching 140 km/h (85 mph). Nelson was once forecast to reintensify in the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fren ...

and the east Queensland coast faced a cyclone watch for the first time this season. However, Nelson was later declared dissipated over southwestern

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

while a new low was detected just off Cairns on 6 February.

TCWC Brisbane Tropical Low

Just east of the remnants of Nelson, a tropical low was detected on 6 February. The low absorbed the moisture from Nelson as it moved slowly away from the coast. On 7 February, the

TCWC A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as ...

issued their last tropical cyclone advisory. In that advisory they noted that low would gradually intensify over the next 24 to 48 hours, however it was not expected to develop into a tropical cyclone until it was well away from the coast of Australia. On 8 February, the low continued to move to the east southeast but was in an unfavourable environment for intensification. The TCWC in Brisbane stopped issuing ocean wind warnings on the system on 9 February.

Tropical Low Humba

Tropical Low Odette

On 2 March, the

Brisbane, Queensland Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

started issuing tropical cyclone advisories on a tropical low east of 150°E, which had formed in a

monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such ...

. With the first advice, a cyclone watch was immediately declared for the

coast between Ayr and

St Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

, and TCWC Brisbane upgraded the low to Tropical Cyclone Odette on 3 March. Cyclone advisories were discontinued later that day when Odette remained near stationary in the

. The

on that day issued a

on the developing cyclone. Early on 4 March, the JTWC cancelled the TCFA as Odette encountered high vertical wind shear in the Coral Sea. However, the system was still causing rough seas and swells along the coast of Queensland. Later that day, the BOM reported that there were no more ship observations of gales near the centre of the storm, and downgraded Odette to a tropical low noting that redevelopment was unlikely. On 6 March, the

noted the potential for redevelopment, and the remnants of Odette passed into the area of responsibility of

RSMC A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as ...

Nadi Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population ha ...

early the next day. However, redevelopment did not occur, and tropical disturbance advisories were discontinued. Odette was subsequently downgraded below tropical cyclone intensity by the warning agency in Brisbane.

Severe Tropical Cyclone George

A tropical low that had been centered over land in 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 ra ...

since 27 February started showing signs of development, and the

initiated tropical cyclone advisories on 2 March while the low was still inland. The

issued a

on the system later that day, and designated it Tropical Cyclone 17S the next day as it emerged into water. Later on 3 March, TCWC Darwin upgraded the low to a tropical cyclone, naming it George, the first name used from the Darwin list since Fay in March 2004. George continued to strengthen, and was upgraded to a Category 2 tropical cyclone. It made landfall on 4 March in 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, a ...

on the western coast 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 (180 ...

. The tropical cyclone weakened and the BOM downgraded it to a tropical low after it moved over land, but this weakening was short lived however, as it almost immediately reintensified into a Category 1 tropical cyclone when it started to move off the Kimberley coast. The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in

began monitoring the re-developed cyclone as it moved westward. Initially, poor organisation inhibited any strengthening, but George moved into more favourable conditions and quickly reorganised itself, becoming a severe tropical cyclone on 7 March. The severe cyclone turned abruptly to the south later that day, moving closer to 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 gl ...

coast, while growing significantly in size. As George continued to move southwards towards Bedout Island on 8 March, George was upgraded a Category 4 cyclone with 10-min sustained winds of 105 knots.Tropical Cyclone Tropical Cyclone George Impacts
/ref> Post analysis, however, lifted George's peak intensity to 110 knots just before it 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 ...

, and George was upgraded to a Category 5 cyclone.Tropical Cyclone Season Summary: Western Australian Region: 2006 – 2007
''

''. Retrieved on 19 July 2015. Cyclone George made landfall just east 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 Ha ...

at around 10 pm WDT (1300 UTC) on that day while it was still at its peak intensity and a minimum pressure of 902 hPa. The

JTWC 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 ...

issued its final warning on George early the next day as it was barely hanging on to Category 3 tropical cyclone status. George weakened slowly while over land and it was downgraded to a Category 2 late on 9 March. The next day

issued its final warning. Cyclone George was the most powerful cyclone to hit Port Hedland since

Cyclone Joan Severe Tropical Cyclone Joan was an intense tropical cyclone that ravaged areas of Western Australia. Forming out of a tropical low on 30 November 1975, Joan gradually intensified as it tracked towards the west. After attaining Category 5 intensi ...

in 1975. Three people were killed and twenty-eight others were injured as a result of the severe cyclone.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jacob

A tropical low formed in 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, ...

off the Kimberley coast on 2 March and moved slowly in a westerly direction. It intensified slowly and was not expected to develop to a tropical cyclone. However, on early 7 March,

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the c ...

improved slightly around the system, and the

named it Jacob as it intensified to tropical cyclone status. A cyclone watch was immediately issued for

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

, as Jacob moved to the west northwest closer to the island. The

designated the system Tropical Cyclone 18S on the same day. Jacob was also upgraded to a Category 2 tropical cyclone by the TCWC in Perth. Jacob continued to strengthen into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on 8 March, but weakened shortly after back to a Category 2. Jacob slowed down its movement during the day and began to move eastward away from Christmas Island, therefore, cyclone warnings were cancelled. Jacob restrengthened to a Category 3 on 9 March and accelerated to the southeast towards the Australian mainland. After just being hit by Severe Tropical Cyclone George the night before, TCWC Perth began issuing cyclone watches for Cyclone Jacob for the entire

coast later that day. The next day, Jacob once again weakened to a Category 2 tropical cyclone. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast Jacob to intensify to a Category 3 cyclone again before landfall, but this did not materialise and Jacob instead weakened further to a Category 1 cyclone on 11 March. Jacob weakened into a tropical low shortly after making landfall east of

Port Hedland, Western Australia Port Hedland (Kariyarra: ''Marapikurrinya'') is the second largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with an urban population of 14,320 Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. at June 2018 including the satellite town of Sout ...

on 12 March.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kara

On 24 March, TCWC Perth started issuing tropical cyclone advisories on a developing tropical low that had moved off land into waters off the Kimberley coast. It gained sizeable organisation, and the

issued a

early on 25 March. Several hours later, it was named Tropical Cyclone Kara, with

scatterometer A scatterometer or diffusionmeter is a scientific instrument to measure the return of a beam of light or radar waves scattered by diffusion in a medium such as air. Diffusionmeters using visible light are found in airports or along roads to measure ...

readings of 40 knots to the south of the system. Kara intensified quickly, and the BOM upgraded it to Category 2 on the Australian scale later that day, then to a severe tropical cyclone early on 26 March. It then underwent rapid development, due to its small size and a favourable environment, and reached Category 3 severe tropical cyclone strength. At this point, the Bureau of Meteorology had high uncertainty regarding the cyclone's future track, which generally pointed Kara to move southwards towards the Western Australian coast. Therefore, cyclone watches and warnings were issued for the entire

coast, extending as far east as Broome. The cyclone reached peak intensity late on 26 March, and began to rapidly weaken the next day due to increasing

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 horizon ...

. The JTWC issued its last advisory on the evening of 27 March, and TCWC Perth followed suit early on 28 March as Kara dissipated near Eighty Mile Beach in Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Pierre

Early on 16 May, slightly more than two weeks after the official end to the Australian cyclone season, the

identified a tropical low east-southeast of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. The low organised quickly in the Soloman Sea, and the

issued a

on it several hours later. TCWC Brisbane named the system Tropical Cyclone Pierre early the next day. The JTWC issued its first advisory on Tropical Cyclone 24P several hours later, as the cyclone moved westward. Later that day, Pierre encountered increased

and dry air, disrupting the system and inhibiting its development. These unfavourable conditions eventually caused the system to lose its

and degenerate into a tropical low shortly before making landfall in

. After that, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Pierre entered the northern part of the Coral Sea and threatened to produce heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts across Cape York Peninsula.

Other systems

During 25 March, TCWC Brisbane started monitoring a tropical low that was located about to the south-west of

Honiara Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and l ...

in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...

. Over the next day the system moved south-eastwards in an area of low vertical wind shear and moved into the South Pacific basin where the Fiji Meteorological Service started monitoring it as Tropical Depression 13F.

Storm names

TCWC Perth * Isobel * Jacob * Kara TCWC Darwin * George TCWC Brisbane * Nelson * Odette * Pierre

Season effects

, - , Isobel , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , None , , , - , Nelson , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Northern Territory, Queensland , , , , , , , - , Low , , 5 – 8 February , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , - , Odette , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , , , - , George , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Western Australia , , $15.7 million , , 5 , , , - , Jacob , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Western Australia , , Minimal , , , - , Kara , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , None , , None , - , Pierre , , , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , bgcolor=#, , , Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Torres Straits , , , , , , , -

References

External links

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC Perth)

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC Darwin)

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC Brisbane)

{{DEFAULTSORT:2006-07 Australian Region Cyclone Season Australian region cyclone seasons Articles which contain graphical timelines 2006 Aus 2007 Aus

Systems

Tropical Low Isobel

Tropical Cyclone Nelson

TCWC Brisbane Tropical Low

Tropical Low Humba

Tropical Low Odette

Severe Tropical Cyclone George

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jacob

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kara

Tropical Cyclone Pierre

Other systems

Storm names

Season effects

See also

References

External links