1973–74 Australian region cyclone season

Season summary

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Systems

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ines

|10-min winds=80 |1-min winds=75 On November 17, Ines formed offshore the Top End. Moving westward, the cyclone passed north of Bathurst and Melville islands. Thereafter, Ines curved southwestward and intensified into a 130 km/h cyclone while nearing Troughton Island. The storm made landfall in Kimberley, Western Australia on November 19. Ines slowly weakened after moving inland and dissipated on November 24.

Tropical Cyclone Annie

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=60 Cyclone Annie developed northwest of Western Australia on November 21. By December 8, it dissipated.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Beryl

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=70 Beryl formed just south of the Lesser Sunda Islands on November 26. The cyclone strengthened, peaking with winds of 125 km/h on December 1. Three days later, Beryl made landfall near Carnarvon, Western Australia and quickly dissipated. Minor wind damage was reported.

Tropical Cyclone Natalie–Lottie

|10-min winds=35 |1-min winds=40 Cyclone Lottie struck Fiji's Southern Lau Group on December 10. High seas caused the ship Uluilakeba to capsize killing more than 85 people.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Cecily

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=70 The next system, Cecily, developed near the Cocos Islands on December 11. Cecily moved south-southwestward and peaked with winds of 125 km/h. On December 19, the cyclone dissipated.

Tropical Cyclone Una

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=50 Una formed southwest of Solomon Islands on December 15. It struck Queensland before dissipating on December 20.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Deidre–Delinda

|10-min winds=80 |1-min winds=80 Cyclone Deidre developed in the vicinity of the Cocos Islands on December 20. Moving generally west-southwestward across the Indian Ocean, it crossed the 80°E on December 25.

Tropical Cyclone Erica

|10-min winds=50 |1-min winds=65 Tropical Cyclone Erica brought heavy rainfall to portions of Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Fiona–Gwenda

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=55 Fiona-Gwenda was operationally considered two different tropical cyclones.

Tropical Cyclone Vera

|10-min winds=50 |1-min winds=55 On January 18, Cyclone Vera developed offshore Queensland. After moving northeastward, it then curved to the southeast. On January 20, Vera crossed 160°E and entered the South Pacific basin.

Tropical Cyclone Wanda

|10-min winds=50 |1-min winds=35 Main article: Cyclone Wanda

This cyclone existed from 24 January to 27 January 1974 and led to extensive flooding over southeast Queensland. Although this tropical cyclone was relatively weak, it dropped enormous quantities of rain on south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales over the Australia Day (26–27 January) weekend, resulting in some of the worst flooding seen in a century. The Queensland state capital, Brisbane, fared particularly badly, with fourteen lives lost and parts of the city submerged under 2 metres of the Brisbane River. In northern New South Wales, a further two fatalities were reported. The cyclone's final toll: 16 dead, over 300 injured; 56 homes destroyed, a further 1,600 submerged; 8000 people left homeless.

• The Corinda Landslip
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology article: The Big Wet - January 1974
• Natural Disasters in Australia

Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam

|10-min winds=110 |1-min winds=85

During 4 February Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam moved south-westwards into the Australian region as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone, with peak 10-minute sustained wind speeds estimated at 205 km/h. Over the next couple of days, Pam passed about 500 km to the east of Brisbane, as it gradually weakened and recurved south-eastwards. The system was last noted during 7 February as it moved back into the South Pacific basin.

Tropical Cyclone Yvonne

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=45 Cyclone Yvonne developed on February 8 and struck the Cape York Peninsula.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Helen

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=70 On February 28, Cyclone Helen formed offshore Western Australia. Moving generally westward, it dissipated on March 8.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Zoe

|10-min winds=75 |1-min winds=75

Cyclone Zoe was named and detected on 9 March 1974 when it was northeast of Brisbane. In the following days it moved steadily southward and interacted with an already-exiting trough in the easterlies to produce sustained and very heavy rainfall all along the coast from Brisbane south almost to Sydney. In the four days between 10 and 13 March, Brisbane received 419.4 mm and some places in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales received as much as 700 mm. With catchments already saturated by heavy January rains, record flooding occurred on the Richmond River, which reached a height of 12.17 m.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Isobel

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=70 Cyclone Isobel existed over the South-East Indian Ocean from March 9 to March 17.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jessie

|10-min winds=80 |1-min winds=80 Jessie developed between Indonesia and Western Australia on March 16. Moving west-southwestward, it was last noted on March 25.

Tropical Cyclone Jenny

|10-min winds=50 |1-min winds=50 Cyclone Jenny struck northern Western Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Alice

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=35 The final system, Cyclone Alice, existed offshore the east coast of Australia from March 21 to March 23.

References

References

1. "Severe Tropical Cyclone Ines". [[Bureau of Meteorology]].
2. "Tropical Cyclone Annie". Bureau of Meteorology.
3. "Tropical Cyclone Beryl". Bureau of Meteorology.
4. "Fiji Times".
5. Joeli Kalgouta, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2004/10/the-only-survivor "The Only Survivor"], ''[[Liahona (magazine). Liahona]]'', October 2004.
6. "Tropical Cyclone Cecily". Bureau of Meteorology.
7. "Severe Tropical Cyclone Deidre". Bureau of Meteorology.
8. "Tropical Cyclone Erica 29/12/1973 to 05/01/1974". Bureau of Meteorology.
9. "Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona–Gwenda". Bureau of Meteorology.
10. Bureau of Meteorology (1992). ''Climate of Queensland'', Commonwealth of Australia {{ISBN. 0-644-24331-7
11. ["1974 Tropical Cyclone PAM (1974030S15182)"]({{IBTRACS url). International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.
12. "Tropical Cyclone Pam". Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
13. [http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/1974/bom/zoe.gif Cyclone Zoe]
14. [http://australiasevereweather.com/links/rainrec/bri-d03.htm Brisbane Highest Daily Rainfall-March]
15. [http://australiasevereweather.com/links/daily_rainfall/floods/rainfall_197403.htm March 1974 flood]
16. [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2004/1058691.htm Going to Venice]