Cyclone Peter

Severe Tropical Cyclone Peter was at the time, the wettest tropical cyclone on record in Australia, until it was surpassed by Cyclone Jasper in 2023. The third system and first severe tropical cyclone of the 1978–79 season, Peter developed on 29 December from a weak low pressure area over the Gulf of Carpentaria. Peter moved southeastward and deepened while brushing Arnhem Land. Initially a tropical low, it strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone by 12:00 UTC on 29 December. Peter intensified further on 30 December and became a Category 2 cyclone. On the following day, the cyclone peaked with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph). Peter weakened to a Category 1 cyclone before making landfall near the mouth of the Edward River in Queensland. While crossing the Cape York Peninsula, the storm weakened slowly. After reaching Pacific Ocean near Cooktown, the storm decelerated and meandered offshore, but dissipated just offshore on 4 January.

While trekking slowly offshore the east coast of Queensland, the storm dropped very heavy rainfall, peaking at at Mount Bellenden Ker, making it the wettest tropical cyclone on record in Australia at the time. Severe flooding occurred, especially in the Cairns area. The most severe damage was dealt to sugar cane, which suffered 70 to 90 percent destruction. Some flights were canceled at the Cairns Airport due to standing water. Floodwaters forced at least 50 people to flee their homes in Cairns. A number of roads, including major highways, were flooded throughout coastal areas of Far North Queensland. Rainfall and winds also resulted in many power and telephone service outages through the region. There were two fatalities and damage reached approximately $10 million (1979 AUD; $11.4 million 1979 USD).

Meteorological history

During the final week of December 1978, an area of atmospheric convection developed over northern Australia and surrounding areas. During 28 December, an area of low pressure developed over the eastern Arnhem Land within this area of atmospheric convection. Over the next day the system moved northwestward toward the Gulf of Carpentaria and developed further, with the first gale force wind associated with the system reported from an automatic weather station on 29 December. The system was subsequently named Peter by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) after it moved into the Gulf and developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. After being named, Peter continued to intensify further as it tracked southeastward toward the Cape York Peninsula.

The system was subsequently considered to have peaked as a Category 2 tropical cyclone on 31 December, with 10-minute sustained winds estimated at by the BoM. Several hours later, the system made landfall between Aurukun and the Edward River mission, Queensland, at around 20:00 (Australian Eastern Standard Time, 11:00 UTC). As Peter made landfall during 31 December winds of , were reported from both Fitzroy Island and the Edward River mission weather stations. Over the next couple of days the system gradually weakened over land, before it emerged into the Coral Sea near Cooktown, Queensland, on 1 January. The system subsequently weakened below tropical cyclone intensity and became a tropical low during 2 January. The system was last noted on the following day as it degenerated into a complex low pressure system and moved back over the Cape York Peninsula. The complex low subsequently moved westwards over the Peninsula and into the Gulf, where it developed into Tropical Cyclone Greta.

Impact

The Darwin Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Northern Territory issued a cyclone warning on 30 December for the coast of Arnhem Land from the Wessel Islands to Port Roper, located near the mouth of the Roper River. Although a cyclone warning indicates expectation of landfall, Peter would never strike Northern Territory. The strongest observed winds in the territory was on Northeast Island, while the highest precipitation total was in Nhulunbuy, of which fell in 24 hours. Very rough seas were reported along the coast of some areas, beaching a fishing vessel onto the rocks at Gove harbour.

In Queensland, the Brisbane TCWC issued cyclone watches and flood warnings as the storm passed over the Cape York Peninsula. Some areas experienced strong winds, with gusts up to at Edward River Aboriginal Mission and Fitzroy Island. The storm dropped very heavy rainfall while drifting offshore Queensland, with Mount Bellenden Ker recording over a period of approximately three days, making Peter the wettest tropical cyclone in Australia at the time. The record precipitation total was surpassed by Cyclone Jasper in December 2023, which dropped over a seven day period. In a 24 hour period, Peter dropped about of rainfall, which was the country's highest daily rainfall total. Other significant precipitation amounts included in Millaa Millaa and in Cooktown.

Due to the heavy rainfall, severe flooding occurred, mostly between Tully and Cooktown, with the worst impact in the Cairns area. Many creeks and rivers, such as the Herbert, the north and south branches of the Johnstone

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