1979–80 Australian region cyclone season
| 1979–80 Australian region cyclone season |
Season summary map
|
| Seasonal boundaries |
| First system formed |
26 August 1979 |
| Last system dissipated |
31 March 1980 |
| Strongest storm |
|
| Name |
Amy |
| • Maximum winds |
230 km/h (145 mph)
(10-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure |
915 hPa (mbar) |
| Seasonal statistics |
| Tropical lows |
15 |
| Tropical cyclones |
15 |
| Severe tropical cyclones |
9 |
| Total fatalities |
Unknown |
| Total damage |
Unknown |
| Related articles |
|
|
Australian region tropical cyclone seasons
1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82
|
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
26 August – 30 August (Exited basin) |
| Peak intensity |
95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min) 990 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
9 December – 18 December (Crossed 80°E)
|
| Peak intensity |
205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min) 930 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
23 December – 2 January (Crossed 80°E)
|
| Peak intensity |
130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min) 973 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
2 January – 12 January |
| Peak intensity |
85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min) 989 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
4 January – 12 January |
| Peak intensity |
230 km/h (145 mph) (10-min) 915 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
18 January – 27 January |
| Peak intensity |
205 km/h (125 mph) (10-min) 930 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
21 January – 29 January |
| Peak intensity |
100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min) 980 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Category 4 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
27 January – 4 February |
| Peak intensity |
215 km/h (130 mph) (10-min) 930 hPa (mbar) |
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) |
|
|
| Duration |
11 February – 18 February |
| Peak intensity |
110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min) 980 hPa (mbar) |
The 1979–80 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season.
On 26 August, TCWC Perth reported that a tropical low had developed on a shear line about 1300 km (810 mi) to the northwest of Cocos Island. Over the next couple of days the depression gradually developed further before at 1800 UTC on 27 August, TCWC Perth estimated that it had become a tropical cyclone and named it Tony. During the next couple of days, the system moved towards the west-southwest before on 29 August it reached its peak intensity of 95 km/h (60 mph) and a peak pressure of 990 hPa (29.23 inHg) as it approached the edge of TCWC Perth's area of responsibility. During the next day, Tony moved into the South West Indian Ocean and weakened gradually before it dissipated during 31 August. Neither the Mauritius or Reunion meteorological services monitored Tony as a tropical cyclone while it was active, while it was not included in the JTWC's analysis of the season.
On 2 January, the BoM reported that a tropical depression had developed in the Southwest Gulf of Carpentaria. During that day the depression moved towards the southwest and developed early signs of having a cyclonic circulation, however before it could intensify into a tropical cyclone, the system made landfall near the Northern Territory border with Queensland at 135°E. Over the next couple of days the depression weakened slightly, as it moved in a general east-southeast direction across the Carpentaria and Central Coast districts of Queensland. On 7 January, the depression moved out into the Coral Sea just to the south of Sarina with a central pressure of 995 hPa. During that day the depression developed gale force windspeeds and was named as Paul by TCWC Brisbane. Before later that day, Paul reached its peak intensity as a tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph) and its lowest central pressure of 989 hPa as it moved rapidly towards the southeast. This southeastern movement continued until 1200 UTC on 8 January when it slowed down and started to move to the southwest as it developed a cold core and became extratropical. The extratropical remnants of Paul subsequently lingered in the Australian region and peaked with stronger windspeeds then when it was a tropical cyclone. The US Navy's analysis of this system shows that they would have considered Paul a tropical storm with peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). As a tropical depression, Paul forced a strong area of convergence in the moist airstream onto the tropical Queensland coast. As a result of the moisture, very heavy rain caused one of the highest floods of the 20th Century down the Don River through Bowen. In its lower reaches the river changed its course and washed away two homes and caused several million Australian dollars worth of damage to the market garden industry.
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