1975–76 Australian region cyclone season explained
| Basin: | Aus |
| Year: | 1976 |
| Track: | 1975-1976 Australian cyclone season summary.jpg |
| First Storm Formed: | 17 November 1975 |
| Last Storm Dissipated: | 9 May 1976 |
| Strongest Storm Name: | Joan |
| Strongest Storm Pressure: | 915 |
| Strongest Storm Winds: | 115 |
| Average Wind Speed: | 10 |
| Total Depressions: | 16 |
| Total Hurricanes: | 16 |
| Total Intense: | 8 |
| Five Seasons: | 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 |
| South Indian Season: | 1975–76 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season |
| Australian Season: | 1975–76 South Pacific cyclone season |
The 1975–76 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season.
Systems
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ray
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | November 17 |
| Dissipated: | November 25 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 70 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 70 |
| Pressure: | 973 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Joan
| Basin: | Aus |
| Track: | Joan 1975 track.png |
| Formed: | November 30 |
| Dissipated: | December 10 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 115 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 135 |
| Pressure: | 915 |
See main article: article and Cyclone Joan. On the morning of November 30, 1975, satellite imagery showed a large cloud mass in the Timor Sea. The satellite photograph received on the morning of December 1 showed that significant organization had occurred in the cloud mass during the previous 24 hours. It was deemed at 0115 UTC that the system be named the developing cyclone Joan, located about 310 km west-northwest of Darwin. Joan's movement in the following 48 hours was towards the southwest at an average 5 km/h. The first evidence of the increasing strength of Joan came as the cyclone moved west-southwest past the northernmost areas of Western Australia on December 3. The cyclone's generally west-southwesterly track after December 2 took it away from the coast until 0900 6 December when it was about 420 km north of Port Hedland and the system turned southward. At about 2200 UTC December 7, 1975, the eye of tropical cyclone Joan crossed the coast about 50 km west of Port Hedland. The cyclone was travelling south-southwest at about 14 km/h and crossed over or adjacent to the homesteads on the pastoral properties Mundabullangana, Mallina, Coolawanyah, Hamersley, and Mount Brockman. As cyclone Joan crossed the coastal plain and the Chichester Range only a slow moderation of its intensity seems to have occurred, but as the cyclone crossed the Hamersley Range the available evidence suggests that a rapid weakening took place.
Tropical cyclone Joan was the most destructive cyclone to affect the Port Hedland area in more than 30 years. The city was subjected to sustained winds exceeding 90 km/h for about 10 hours with winds in excess of 120 km/h for three hours. The maximum measured wind gust of 208 km/h on December 8, 1975, is the fourth highest on record in Australia. Severe property damage occurred at Port Hedland and at other settlements close to the cyclone's path. Subsequent flooding damaged roads and sections of the iron ore railways, particularly that of Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd. Sheep losses were heavy but, remarkably, no loss of human life or serious injury was reported. The estimated damage to private property and public facilities is believed to have exceeded $25 million.[1]
Tropical Cyclone Kim
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | December 1 |
| Dissipated: | December 10 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 45 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 45 |
| Pressure: | 990 |
Tropical Cyclone Sue
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | December 12 |
| Dissipated: | December 16 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 40 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 40 |
| Pressure: | 994 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone David
| Basin: | Aus |
| Track: | David 1976 track.png |
| Formed: | January 11 |
| Dissipated: | January 22 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 85 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 85 |
| Pressure: | 961 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Vanessa
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | January 15 |
| Dissipated: | January 28 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 95 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 100 |
| Pressure: | 950 |
Tropical Cyclone Alan
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | January 30 |
| Dissipated: | February 9 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 35 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 40 |
| Pressure: | 989 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Beth
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | February 13 |
| Dissipated: | February 22 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 70 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 70 |
| Pressure: | 972 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Wally
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | February 22 |
| Dissipated: | February 27 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 75 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 70 |
| Pressure: | 973 |
Tropical Cyclone Hope
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | February 24 |
| Dissipated: | March 6 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 40 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 35 |
| Pressure: | 990 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Colin
| Basin: | Aus |
| Track: | Colin 1976 track.png |
| Formed: | February 25 |
| Dissipated: | March 7 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 85 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 95 |
| Pressure: | 954 |
Colin churned up rough seas all across the eastern coast of Australia and caused one fatality as a result when a large wave swept a woman off a cliff.
Tropical Cyclone Alice
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | March 2 |
| Dissipated: | March 13 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 50 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 50 |
| Pressure: | 988 |
Tropical Cyclone Dawn
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | March 3 |
| Dissipated: | March 6 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 50 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 55 |
| Pressure: | 988 |
Tropical Cyclone Linda
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | March 14 |
| Dissipated: | March 17 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 40 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 40 |
| Pressure: | 995 |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Watorea
| Basin: | Aus |
| Track: | Watorea 1976 track.png |
| Formed: | April 25 |
| Dissipated: | April 28 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 90 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 75 |
| Pressure: | 970 |
Tropical Cyclone Carol
| Basin: | Aus |
| Formed: | May 3 |
| Dissipated: | May 9 |
| 10-Min Winds: | 45 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 45 |
| Pressure: | 991 |
See also
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1975, 1976
- Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1975, 1976
- Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1975, 1976
- North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1975, 1976
Notes and References
- http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/wa/joan.shtml CYCLONE JOAN DECEMBER 1975 – BOM REPORT
