Cyclone Ita
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Ita nearing landfall on 11 April
|
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| Formed | 1 April 2014 |
| Dissipated | 18 April 2014 |
| (Extratropical after 14 April) | |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 215 km/h (130 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) Gusts: 300 km/h (185 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 930 hPa (mbar); 27.46 inHg |
| Fatalities | 40 total |
| Damage | $1.15 billion (2014 USD) |
| Areas affected | Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Queensland, New Zealand |
| Part of the 2013–14 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita was the strongest tropical cyclone to impact Queensland, Australia since Cyclone Yasi three years prior. The system was first identified over the Solomon Islands as a tropical low on 1 April 2014, and gradually moved westward, eventually reaching cyclone intensity on 5 April. On 10 April, Ita intensified rapidly into a powerful Category 5 system on the Australian Scale, but it weakened to a Category 4 system in the hours immediately preceding landfall the following day. At the time of landfall at Cape Flattery at 12 April 22:00 (UTC+10), the cyclone's Dvorak intensity was approximately T5.0, consistent with a weak Category 4 system, and considerably lower than T6.5 observed when the system was at its peak intensity. Meteorologists noted the system had, at that time, begun an eyewall replacement cycle; as a result, the system was considerably less powerful than various intensity scales predicted. Ita's impact on terrain was attenuated accordingly.
Owing to the rapid degradation of the cyclone before landfall, structural damage was relatively low at A$8.4 million (US$7.9 million). However, the agricultural industry suffered extensive impacts and total losses reached A$1.1 billion (US$1 billion).
On 1 April 2014, a broad, poorly-defined area of low pressure consolidated over the Solomon Islands. Initially only accompanied by flaring convection, the system persisted in a region of low wind shear and strong outflow which promoted gradual development. Upon formation, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) office in Brisbane monitored the system as a tropical low.Banding features gradually developed and wrapped around the circulation and deep convection became persistent by 2 April. A large central dense overcast developed over the low early on 3 April, prompting the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) to issue a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert.
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