Cyclone Fay
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Tropical Cyclone Fay on 22 March 2004
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| Formed | 12 March 2004 |
| Dissipated | 28 March 2004 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 215 km/h (130 mph) 1-minute sustained: 220 km/h (140 mph) Gusts: 295 km/h (185 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 910 hPa (mbar); 26.87 inHg |
| Fatalities | None reported |
| Damage | Minimal |
| Areas affected | Northern Territory, Northern Western Australia |
| Part of the 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season | |
Cyclone Fay was an intense, late-season tropical cyclone which struck Western Australia during the 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season. Forming from an area of low pressure on 12 March, Fay was the only Category 5 cyclone during the season. The system had a minimum pressure of 910 mbar (hPa; 26.87 inHg) and maximum sustained winds of 210 km/h (130 mph). Moving towards the southwest and eventually towards the south, Fay gradually strengthened as it paralleled the northwestern coast of Australia, and made landfall on the Pilbara coast on the morning of 27 March as a Category 4 cyclone.
While no fatalities were reported, the cyclone brought record-breaking rainfall to Australia, which led to a sharp decrease in the country's gold output. The cyclone also caused minor damage in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In the spring of 2005, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology retired the name Fay from use, and it will never be used again as a cyclone name.
The low pressure system that later developed into Fay formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria on 12 March 2004. Through 15 March satellite imagery indicated increasing convection and organisation of the system, as well as decreasing wind sheer aloft, adding to the favourable conditions for strengthening. On 16 March, the system was designated Tropical Cyclone 18S by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, with winds of 30 km/h (20 mph). The system then crossed Melville and Bathurst Islands and moved into the Timor Sea, where it intensified, and was given the name Fay by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Fay began to turn southward on 17 March; simultaneously, the cyclone continued to intensify due to a weakening of vertical wind shear, and well-defined outflow became apparent on satellite imagery. The following day, a steering ridge to the south of the system strengthened and pushed the cyclone away from the coast and to the northwest. At the same time, the system continued to intensify due to the favourable environment in the upper atmosphere. However, hot, dry air flowing into the system from the south, combined with vertical wind sheer, kept the storm from strengthening as much at its maximum potential rate.
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