Cyclone Monica
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Monica on 24 April 2006
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| Formed | 17 April 2006 |
| Dissipated | 26 April 2006 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 250 km/h (155 mph) 1-minute sustained: 285 km/h (180 mph) |
| Highest gust | Gusts: 350 km/h (220 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 916 hPa (mbar); 27.05 inHg (Disputed) |
| Fatalities | None Reported |
| Damage | $5.1 million (2006 USD) |
| Areas affected | Papua New Guinea, Australia |
| Part of the 2005–06 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Monica was the most intense tropical cyclone, in terms of maximum sustained winds, on record to impact Australia. The 17th and final storm of the 2005–06 Australian region cyclone season, Monica originated from an area of low pressure off the coast of Papua New Guinea on 16 April 2006. The storm quickly developed into a Category 1 cyclone the next day, at which time it was given the name Monica. Travelling towards the west, the storm intensified into a severe tropical cyclone before making landfall in Far North Queensland, near Lockhart River, on 19 April 2006. After moving over land, convection associated with the storm quickly became disorganised.
On 20 April 2006, Monica emerged into the Gulf of Carpentaria and began to re-intensify. Over the following few days, deep convection formed around a 37 km (23 mi) wide eye. Early on 22 April 2006, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) assessed Monica to have attained Category 5 status, on the Australian cyclone intensity scale. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also upgraded Monica to a Category 5 equivalent cyclone, on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. The storm attained its peak intensity the following day with winds of 250 km/h (155 mph 10-minute winds) and a barometric pressure of 916 mbar (hPa; 27.05 inHg). On 24 April 2006, Monica made landfall about 35 km (22 mi) west of Maningrida, at the same intensity. Rapid weakening took place as the storm moved over land. Less than 24 hours after landfall, the storm had weakened to a tropical low. The remnants of the former-Category 5 cyclone persisted until 28 April 2006 over northern Australia.
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