Cyclone Winifred
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 2 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Winifred making landfall in Queensland
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| Formed | 27 January 1986 |
| Dissipated | 5 February 1986 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 130 km/h (80 mph) 1-minute sustained: 165 km/h (105 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 957 hPa (mbar); 28.26 inHg |
| Fatalities | 3 direct |
| Damage | $154 million (1986 USD) |
| Areas affected | Queensland, Australia |
| Part of the 1985–86 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Winifred was the worst tropical cyclone to make landfall in northern Queensland since Cyclone Althea in 1971 and the first since Althea to inflict significant damage on the northeastern coast of Australia. The sixth named storm of the 1985–86 Australian region cyclone season, Winifred originated as a tropical low north of Cairns, Queensland on 27 January 1986. Slowly organizing, the system was recognized as a tropical cyclone after gaining tropical characteristics on 30 January, christened with the name Winifred the same day. Meandering southward, the cyclone began to curve southeastward that evening before suddenly turning toward the coast, southwestward, on 31 January, steadily intensifying in that time. By the time it came ashore near Silkwood, Queensland at 0445 UTC on 1 February, it was producing Category 3-force winds on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and a minimum atmospheric pressure of 957 mbar (28.38 inHg). Weakening as it drifted inland, Winifred persisted as a tropical depression for another five days after landfall before finally dissipating on 5 February.
In advance of Winifred's approach, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued cyclone watches and warnings for various locations along the Queensland coast, prompting evacuations in several towns. Damage after landfall was widespread and severe, with thousands of homes damaged, flooding as a result of heavy rainfall along major rivers, and severe damage to crops. Debris obstructed roads across northern Queensland and power outages disrupted electrical service, even at water treatment plants, forcing officials to warn residents to boil water as a precautionary measure. Overall, the cyclone caused $86.4 million in agriculture-related damages, with sugar cane and banana harvests suffering the most. Tourist operations were generally uninterrupted by the storm, while ecological and environmental damage, if any, was mild. Even so, high winds uprooted trees in wide swaths of forests, with those not completely defoliated. Overall, Winifred caused three deaths and inflicted $130 million (1986 AUD; $154 million USD) in damage.
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