Cyclone Larry
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Tropical Cyclone Larry intensifying on 19 March
|
|
| Formed | 18 March 2006 |
| Dissipated | 24 March 2006 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 215 km/h (135 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg |
| Fatalities | 1 total Indirect. Due to heart attack. |
| Damage | $1.1 billion (2006 USD) |
| Areas affected | Far North Queensland |
| Part of the 2005–06 South Pacific Australian region cyclone season |
|
Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (RSMC Nadi designation: 15F, JTWC designation: 17P) was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005–06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season. Larry originated as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea on 16 March 2006 and was monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Brisbane, Australia. The low-pressure area formed into a tropical cyclone two days later and quickly strengthened into a Category 5 storm on the Australian tropical cyclone scale. Larry made landfall in Far North Queensland close to Innisfail on 20 March 2006 as a Category 4 with wind gusts reaching 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph) and dissipated over land soon after.
Throughout Queensland, Cyclone Larry resulted in roughly A$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion USD) in damage. At the time, this made Larry the costliest tropical cyclone to ever impact Australia; surpassing Cyclone Tracy in 1974 (not accounting for inflation).
Larry began as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea that was monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology from 16 March 2006. It formed into a tropical cyclone 1,150 kilometres (710 mi) off the coast of Queensland, Australia on Saturday 18 March 2006. Larry was a Category 2 cyclone in the Australian intensity scale when the cyclone watch commenced, and gradually intensified to a high Category 4 on that scale. The eye of Larry crossed the coast near Innisfail between 6:20 am and 7:20 am AEST on 20 March 2006. According to preliminary data, the winds near Innisfail may have reached 290 kilometres per hour (180 mph) with gusts to 310–320 kilometres per hour (190–200 mph). However, re-analysis based on land observations indicated that Cyclone Larry was a Category 4 cyclone during landfall, as wind gusts were estimated to have reached 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph) in the area of impact. A month later, Cyclone Monica crossed the Queensland coast.
...
Wikipedia