1993–94 Australian region cyclone season explained

Basin:Aus
Year:1994
Track:1993-1994 Australian region cyclone season summary.png
First Storm Formed:14 December 1993
Last Storm Dissipated:1 May 1994
Strongest Storm Name:Theodore
Strongest Storm Pressure:910
Strongest Storm Winds:109
Average Wind Speed:10
Total Depressions:14
Total Hurricanes:12
Total Intense:7
Fatalities:22
Five Seasons:1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
South Indian Season:1993–94 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
South Pacific Season:1993–94 South Pacific cyclone season

The 1993–94 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly above average Australian cyclone season. It was also an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1993 to 30 April 1994. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" ran from 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994.

Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane; and TCWC Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Seasonal Summary

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Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month

PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:15/12/1993 till:18/12/1993 color:C3 text:"Naomi (C3)" from:28/12/1993 till:05/01/1994 color:C1 text:"Oscar (C1)" from:29/12/1993 till:04/01/1994 color:C5 text: barset:break barset:skip barset:skip from:11/01/1994 till:21/01/1994 color:C5 text:"Rewa (C5)" from:10/01/1994 till:18/01/1994 color:C3 text:"Pearl (C3)" from:22/01/1994 till:29/01/1994 color:C3 text:"Quenton (C3)" from:29/01/1994 till:31/01/1994 color:C1 text:"Sadie (C1)" barset:break from:22/02/1994 till:26/02/1994 color:C5 text:"Theodore (C5)" from:12/03/1994 till:19/03/1994 color:C4 text:"Sharon (C4)" from:29/03/1994 till:01/04/1994 color:C1 text:"Tim (C1)" from:06/04/1994 till:11/04/1994 color:C3 text:"Vivienne (C3)" from:23/04/1994 till:24/04/1994 color:TL text:"29P (TL)" from:27/04/1994 till:30/04/1994 color:C1 text:"Willy (C1)"

bar:Month width:6 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/12/1993 till:31/12/1993 text:December from:01/01/1994 till:31/01/1994 text:January from:01/02/1994 till:28/02/1994 text:February from:01/03/1994 till:31/03/1994 text:March from:01/04/1994 till:30/04/1994 text:April from:01/05/1994 till:31/05/1994 text:May

TextData = pos:(569,23) text:"(For further details, please see" pos:(713,23) text:"scales)"

Systems

Severe Tropical Cyclone Naomi

Basin:Aus
Track:Naomi 1993 path.png
Formed:14 December
Dissipated:18 December
10-Min Winds:80
1-Min Winds:55
Pressure:960

Naomi was the first cyclone of the 1993/94 season. Forming early on 15 December 1993, the storm moved south and strengthened into a Category 3 before making landfall.[1] There was moderate damage and a fishing boat was disabled during the storm. There were no deaths.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Rewa

Basin:Aus
Track:Rewa 1993 track.png
Formed:26 December
Dissipated:21 January
10-Min Winds:110
1-Min Winds:125
Pressure:920

See main article: Cyclone Rewa.

Cyclone Rewa formed on 26 December 1993. It looped around the Coral Sea for almost a month, crossed New Caledonia and the Solomon Island, and dissipated on 21 January. Rewa was the longest-lived South Pacific tropical cyclone on record, lasting 25 days, from 26 December to 21 January.

Tropical Cyclone Oscar

Basin:Aus
Track:Oscar 1993 path.png
Formed:28 December
Dissipated:9 January
10-Min Winds:35
1-Min Winds:40
Pressure:995

Cyclone Oscar was a weak system, and only barely reached cyclone strength on 3 January 1994 for about a 12-hour period. It moved on a generally west-southwest course parallel to the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts.[2]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Pearl-Farah

Basin:Aus
Formed:10 January
Dissipated:21 January
Track:Pearl-Farah 1994 path.png
10-Min Winds:85
1-Min Winds:95
Pressure:950

On 11 January, a tropical low formed northwest of Broome, Western Australia. It was named Pearl a few hours later by the Bureau of Meteorology.[3] The cyclone continued westward and reached a peak intensity of 155 km/h (100 mph).[3] As the system moved west of 90°E, MFR took over warning responsibility on 18 January and renamed the cyclone Farah.[4] At that time, MFR estimated winds of about 120 km/h (75 mph).[5] After having moved westward due to a ridge to the south, Farah turned to the south upon entering the basin due to an approaching trough, which previously absorbed Edmea. High wind shear caused rapid weakening, and by 19 January, there was little remaining convection. The next day, Farah weakened to tropical depression status and turned to the southeast. The ridge built behind the trough, causing the depression to stall and drift northward, and by 22 February, Farah dissipated.[4]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Quenton

Basin:Aus
Track:Quenton 1994 path.png
Formed:22 January
Dissipated:29 January
10-Min Winds:80
1-Min Winds:75
Pressure:955

Tropical Cyclone Quenton began as a tropical low to the east of Christmas Island on 22 January 1994. The low moved slowly west, then on 25 January intensified to cyclone strength and moved southward across the Indian Ocean. By early on the 29th the cyclone had dissipated.[6]

Tropical Cyclone Sadie

Basin:Aus
Track:Sadie 1994 path.png
Formed:29 January
Dissipated:31 January
10-Min Winds:45
1-Min Winds:35
Pressure:990

During 29 January, the BoM reported that a tropical low had developed within the monsoon trough, to the north of the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory.[7] [8] During that day the low rapidly developed further as it moved south-eastwards, before early on 29 January the BoM's TCWC Darwin reported that the low had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone and named it Sadie as the system started to move southwards.[7] Later that day the JTWC initiated advisories on Cyclone Sadie and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 14P, while the system started to move towards the east and was near its peak 1-minute maximum sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (50 mph).[7] [9] [10] Early the next day Cyclone Sadie made landfall to the north of near Normanton, after the BoM had reported that the system had peaked with 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph).[7] [8] [10] After making landfall, the system moved towards the south-southeast before weakening and degenerating into a tropical low/rain depression later that day.[7]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Theodore

Basin:Aus
Track:Theodore 1994 track.png
Formed:22 February
Dissipated:28 February
10-Min Winds:115
1-Min Winds:115
Pressure:910

Severe Tropical Cyclone Theodore existed from 22 to 28 February.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sharon

Basin:Aus
Track:Sharon Aus 1994 path.png
Formed:12 March
Dissipated:22 March
10-Min Winds:105
1-Min Winds:110
Pressure:930

Tropical Cyclone Sharon was the most intense cyclone in the Western Australian region during the 1993/94 season. It formed about 1100 km north of Northwest Cape on 12 March 1994, then rapidly intensified during the 14th while moving on a south-southwest path towards the west Pilbara coast. During the 16th the cyclone rapidly weakened due to movement into a region of strong westerly wind shear. Cyclone warnings were issued for the west Pilbara and upper west coast on the 16th but were cancelled on the morning of the 17th Continued shearing and subsequent movement over cooler waters weakened the storm to below cyclone strength by the morning of the 18th.[6]

Tropical Cyclone Tim

Basin:Aus
Track:Tim Aus 1994 path.png
Formed:28 March
Dissipated:3 April
10-Min Winds:35
1-Min Winds:40
Pressure:995

Tropical Cyclone Tim was a very small weak system that moved on a generally westward path from south of Sumatra to the Cocos Islands from 28 March to 3 April 1994. It passed about 100 km to the south of Christmas Island but its effects, other than a wind shift, were barely recognizable on the Island.[6]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Vivienne

Basin:Aus
Track:Vivienne 1994 path.png
Formed:5 April
Dissipated:13 April
10-Min Winds:85
1-Min Winds:70
Pressure:955

Tropical Cyclone Vivienne formed from a tropical low that had moved westward across the Timor Sea. It intensified rapidly during the afternoon and night of 5 April 1994, reaching maximum intensity on 8 April when it was located 550 km to the north-northwest of Broome. Its development from here on was hampered by vertical wind shear and Vivienne moved on a generally west-southwest path parallel to, but well offshore from, the Western Australian coastline. It dissipated on 13 April and no watches or warnings were issued.[6]

Tropical Depression 29P

Basin:SPac
Track:29P 1994 track.png
Formed:24 April
Dissipated:25 April
1-Min Winds:30
Pressure:1000

On 20 April, the JTWC started to monitor an area of low pressure that located over the Solomon Islands about 155abbr=onNaNabbr=on to the north of Honiara.[11] During that day the disturbance moved towards the southeast and passed over several of the Solomon Islands, before emerging into the Australian basin.[11] Over the next couple of days the disturbance gradually developed further while moving towards the southwest before re-curving and moving southeastwards.[11] On 24 April, as it moved back into the South Pacific basin, the JTWC initiated advisories on the disturbance, designating it as Tropical Cyclone 29P, with peak windspeeds equivalent to a tropical depression.[11] [12] As the system was classified, it recurved again and started to move slowly towards the northwest, and started to feel the effects of a high amount of vertical windshear.[11] [12] As a result of the windshear, the center became exposed and displaced from the deep convection before the JTWC issued their final advisory on 25 April as 29P weakened into an area of low pressure, before dissipating later that day about 600abbr=onNaNabbr=on to the southwest of Honiara.[11] [12]

Tropical Cyclone Willy

Basin:Aus
Track:Willy 1994 path.png
Formed:26 April
Dissipated:1 May
10-Min Winds:50
1-Min Winds:40
Pressure:985

Willy was a Category 1 cyclone lasting from 26 April to 1 May 1994 that passed about 80 km west of the Cocos Islands.[6]

Other systems

During 23 March, a weak tropical low developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone near Papua New Guinea's Louisiade Archipelago, within an area of favourable surface and upper air conditions for further development.[7] [13] Over the next day the system moved eastwards and gradually developed further, before TCWC Port Moresby reported that the system had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale and named it Usha during the next day before it moved into the South Pacific tropical cyclone basin.[7] [13]

Storm names

TCWC Perth

TCWC Brisbane

Season effects

|-| Naomi || 14 – 18 December || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Western Australia || || |||-| Rewa || || bgcolor=#|Category 5 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|110kn || bgcolor=#|920hPa || Melanesia, Eastern Australia, New Zealand || || 22 |||-| Oscar || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|35kn || bgcolor=#|995hPa || Northern Territory, Western Australia || || ||[14] |-| Pearl-Farah || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#| || Western Australia || || |||-| Quenton || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#| || None || || |||-| Sadie || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#|45kn || bgcolor=#|990hPa || Cape York || || ||[15] [16] |-| Unnamed || || bgcolor=#|Tropical Low || bgcolor=#|NaNkn || bgcolor=#|985hPa || Western Australia || || ||[17] |-| Theodore || || bgcolor=#|Category 5 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#|910hPa || Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
New Caledonia || Unknown || 1 |||-| Sharon || || bgcolor=#|Category 4 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#|930hPa || Western Australia || || |||-| Tim || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|35kn || bgcolor=#|995hPa || None || || |||-| Vivienne || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#|955hPa || None || || |||-| 29P || || bgcolor=#|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#||| bgcolor=#| || Solomon Islands || || |||-| Willy || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#|50kn || bgcolor=#|985hPa || Cocos Islands || || ||[18] |-

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/naomi.shtml Cyclones. Naomi
  2. Web site: Tropical Cyclone Oscar. Bureau of Meteorology. Perth, Western Australia.
  3. Web site: Severe Tropical Cyclone Pearl. Perth Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. Bureau of Meteorology. 9 August 2012.
  4. Guy Le Goff. 1994. RSMC La Reunion. Météo-France. 1993-1994 Cyclone Season in the South-West Indian Ocean. 2013-07-04.
  5. Kenneth R. Knapp. Michael C. Kruk. David H. Levinson. Howard J. Diamond. Charles J. Neumann. 2010. The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data. 1994 Farah:Pearl:Pearl_Farah (1994010S17124). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2013-07-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20160216071519/http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1994010S17124. 16 February 2016. dead.
  6. http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/wa/1994.shtml Cyclones 1994
  7. Hanstrum, B.N.. Smith K.J.. Bate P.W.. The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season 1993–94. 6 November 2012. 45. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 137–147. Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Journal. 2 June 1996.
  8. Web site: Coastal Rivers Flood, Northern Queensland February 1994 . Australian Bureau of Meteorology . 6 November 2012 . Queensland Regional Office . 22 March 2012 . 3 . February 1994 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120322223516/http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/fld_reports/nth_qld_feb_1994.pdf . live.
  9. Web site: Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 1995. 6 November 2012. Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center. 1994 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report. United States Navy, United States Air Force. 21 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130221092023/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1994atcr.pdf. dead.
  10. Web site: [{{IBTRACS url|id=1994028S11136}} 1994 Tropical Cyclone Sadie (1994028S11136)]. International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. 18 April 2021.
  11. Web site: Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 2011-08-12. Tropical Cyclone 29P Best Track Analysis. Unattributed. 2001-05-21. United States Navy.
  12. Web site: Roth, David. Weekly Tropical Cyclone Summary #140 (April 3 – 10, 1994). 1994-04-12. 2011-08-12.
  13. Tropical Cyclone Usha, 22-29 March, 1994 . Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas . 21 May 1996 . Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment . 3 April 2015 . Indiana University . National Climatic Data Center . 5 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150405035924/http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4274123/FID218/DATA/TROPIC/SWP_NAR/1994_11.NAR . live.
  14. Australian Bureau of Meteorology . 27 May 2022 . Tropical Cyclone Oscar.
  15. Australian Bureau of Meteorology . 27 May 2022 . Tropical Cyclone Sadie.
  16. Web site: [{{IBTRACS url|id=1994028S11136}} 1994 Tropical Cyclone Sadie (1994028S11136)]. International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. 25 May 2022.
  17. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 3 June 2022. Western Australia Tropical Cyclone Season Summary 1993-94. March 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318214959/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/wa/1994.shtml. dead.
  18. Web site: [{{IBTRACS url|id=1993096S11101}} 1994 Tropical Cyclone Willy (1994116S05095)]. International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. 28 May 2022.