Cyclone Inigo
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Inigo on 5 April
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| Formed | 1 April 2003 |
| Dissipated | 8 April 2003 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 240 km/h (150 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) Gusts: 335 km/h (205 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 900 hPa (mbar); 26.58 inHg (Record low in Australian region; tied with Gwenda) |
| Fatalities | 58 direct |
| Damage | ~ $6 million (2003 USD) |
| Areas affected | Indonesia, Australia, East Timor |
| Part of the 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season | |
Cyclone Inigo was tied with Cyclone Gwenda for being the most intense recorded cyclone in the Australian region in terms of pressure. It developed from a tropical low that crossed eastern Indonesia in late March 2003. Becoming a named tropical cyclone on 1 April, Inigo rapidly intensified as it tracked southwestward, reaching a minimum central pressure of 900 hPa on 4 April. An approaching trough weakened the cyclone and turned it to the southeast, and on 8 April Inigo dissipated after making landfall on Western Australia as a minimal tropical storm.
The precursor disturbance dropped heavy rainfall across eastern Indonesia, causing widespread flooding and mudslides. The worst of the damage was on Flores island, though damage was also reported on West Timor and Sumba. The flooding and mudslides damaged or destroyed thousands of houses, forcing many to leave their homes. A total of 58 casualties were reported in association with the disturbance. In Australia, Inigo produced locally heavy rainfall, but little damage.
By 26 March, an area of disturbed weather was located within the near-equatorial trough near Papua New Guinea. Initially located within an area of easterly wind shear, it tracked westward due to the presence of a ridge to its south, and on 27 March a low pressure area formed over Western New Guinea. Thunderstorm activity increased around a mid-level circulation as it crossed into the Arafura Sea, and its overall organisation continued to increase. On 29 March, a low-level circulation was visible, though significant tropical development was prevented due to wind shear and land interaction with islands in the Indonesian archipelago. It developed into a tropical low on 30 March, and after turning to the southwest, it crossed the island of Flores on 31 March; upon doing so its convection greatly increased due to increased upper-level divergence, which produced heavy rainfall on Flores and Timor. On 1 April, wind shear decreased as it crossed into the Savu Sea, and by early on 1 April it developed into a tropical cyclone to the northeast of Sumba.
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