List of Australian region cyclones before 1900

List of Australian region cyclones before 1900
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	1568
Last system dissipated	1899
Seasonal statistics
Total disturbances	20
Total fatalities	500+
Total damage	Unknown
Australian region tropical cyclone seasons Pre-1900, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s

The following is a list of Australian region tropical cyclones in or before 1900.

Storms

• February 1568 – During February 1568, two ships which were sailing near the Solomon Islands, were driven southwards for six days by a tropical cyclone after they avoided being shipwrecked on a reef. ^[1]
• April 1778 – A tropical cyclone impacted Indonesia's Banda Islands, where most of the houses were unroofed and 85% of nutmeg trees were destroyed. ^[2]
• 1788 – A tropical cyclone destroyed two ships that had been sailing between Sydney and the Solomon Islands, under the command of Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. ^[1] Most of the crew drowned, however, a number of them lived onshore for several years. ^[1]
• 1811 – A tropical cyclone impacted Indonesia's Banda Islands. ^[2]
• 1820 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Solomon Islands in or around 1820. ^[1]
• December 1840 – A tropical cyclone impacted Papua New Guinea. ^[3]
• April 1841 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Indonesian island of Roti, where it killed 75 people and destroyed numerous houses. ^[2]
• 1850 – In or around 1850, a tropical cyclone impacted Indonesia's Kei Islands where numerous trees were uprooted. ^[2]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1872)

On 20 April 1872, a cyclone struck Roebourne in the Pilbara of Western Australia, effectively destroying the town. ^[4]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1875)

On 24 December 1875, a total of 59 lives were lost at sea when the eye of a cyclone passed over Exmouth Gulf. Several schooners were driven ashore and wrecked. ^[5]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1880)

On 9 January 1880, a cyclone passed near Yammadery Creek, between Onslow, Western Australia and Fortescue River, where the tidal surge was eight metres over the high-water mark. The Adalia was wrecked near Robe River and some of the crew drowned. ^[6]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1882)

On 7 March 1882, a severe cyclone passed Roebourne and Cossack in the evening causing damage to every building in the settlements. Cossack recorded a minimum pressure of 942 hPa. Despite the extensive loss of sheep from surrounding stations, it was considered fortunate that only one person suffered an injury. ^[7]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1884)

On 30 January 1884, a severe cyclone hit Bowen in Queensland, causing damage to every building in the settlement and loss of the jetty and all boats and all communication. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1887)

On 22 April 1887, a cyclone struck the pearling fleet at Ninety Mile Beach near Broome claiming 140 lives. The storm was unexpected since it was so late in the season. ^[5]

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1889)

On 1 March 1889, flooding was considerable at Cossack where a cyclone coincided with high tide. All crew aboard the Waratah were lost off Cape Preston and one man drowned in the river at Roebourne. ^[7]

Unnamed tropical cyclones (1894)

On 4 January 1894 and 9 January 1894 – Within the space of five days, two cyclones crossed the Pilbara coast. The first caused damage to many buildings at Roebourne and Cossack. The second cyclone caused more significant damage to the area completely washing away the previously damaged sea wall at Cossack. Over forty lives were believed to have been lost as twelve luggers and the steamer Anne were destroyed. Altogether, the damage was estimated at 15000 pounds and the loss of some 15000 sheep. Flooding was also substantial. ^[7]

Cyclone Sigma (1896)

Main article: Cyclone Sigma

Cyclone Sigma was a tropical cyclone that caused severe damage in North Queensland, Australia on 26–27 January 1896. ^{[11] [12]} Overall 23 people died in the cyclone with 3 missing. ^[13]

The Great Hurricane (1897)

Main article: Great Hurricane of 1897

On 6 January 1897, a cyclone impacted Darwin, Northern Territory. More than 28 people perished in the event, and much of Darwin was reduced to ruin.

Cyclone Eline (1898)

In January 1898, Cyclone Eline made landfall near Mackay, Queensland. The Cremorne Hotel in northern Mackay sustained damage, as well as the Methodist church on Gregory Street. ^{[14] [15]}

Unnamed tropical cyclone (1898)

On 2 April 1898, a cyclone was described as causing more damage at Cossack than had ever been experienced before. Tramway, rails, roads, and bridges were destroyed and telegraph lines are downed. Houses collapsed and all boats slipped their moorings. The damage was estimated at over 30000 pounds. Whim Creek registered 747 mm of rain in 24 hours, the highest daily rainfall ever recorded in Western Australia. ^[7]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Mahina (1899)

Main article: Cyclone Mahina

Upon making landfall in Queensland as an extremely powerful Category 5 severe tropical cyclone on March 4, 1899, ^[16] Severe Tropical Cyclone Mahina produced a 40-foot storm surge, the highest ever recorded. The flooding killed 400–410 people, making it the deadliest cyclone in Australian history.

See also

• Tropical cyclones portal

• Pre-1900 South Pacific cyclone seasons
• List of South-West Indian Ocean cyclones before 1900

References

1. Radford, Deirdre A; Blong, Russell J (1992). "Cyclones in the Solomon Islands". Natural Disasters in the Solomon Islands (PDF). Vol. 1 (2 ed.). The Australian International Development Assistance Bureau. pp. 125–126. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
2. Padgett, Gary (April 4, 2002). "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary: December 2001" . Retrieved August 29, 2019.
3. d'Aubert, AnaMaria; Nunn, Patrick D (March 2012). "Database 1: Tropical Cyclones (1558–1970)". Furious Winds and Parched Islands: Tropical Cyclones (1558–1970) and Droughts (1722–1987) in the Pacific. pp. 58–171. ISBN   978-1-4691-7008-4.
4. "Disastrous Cyclone at Roebourne". The Herald . Fremantle, Western Australia. 18 May 1872. p. 2. Retrieved 19 October 2013– via National Library of Australia.
5. Bureau of Meteorology (1998). Tropical Cyclones (A Guide for Mariners in Northwest Australia), Pamphlet, Commonwealth of Australia
6. Tropical Cyclones Affecting Onslow (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
7. BoM – Tropical Cyclones affecting Karratha/Dampier
8. "THE TORNADO IN THE NORTH". The Brisbane Courier . 4 February 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 10 January 2016– via National Library of Australia.
9. "THE RECENT CYCLONE AT BOWEN". The Brisbane Courier . 6 February 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 10 January 2016– via National Library of Australia.
10. "THE CYCLONE AT BOWEN". The Brisbane Courier . 9 February 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 10 January 2016– via National Library of Australia.
11. "CBoM – History of Townsville Meteorological Office". www.bom.gov.au. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
12. "Lives lost during cyclone Sigma on Australia Day in 1896". Townsville Bulletin. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
13. "CYCLONE SIGMA 1896-01-26". Harden Up. Green Cross Australia. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
14. "The Cyclone at Mackay". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton. 29 January 1918. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
15. Unidentified (1918), Remains of the Cremorne Hotel, North Mackay, following the 1918 cyclone, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, retrieved 6 June 2019
16. Williams, Brian; Brennan, Rose; Honnery, Chris; Fuller, Peta; Akers, Trenton (19 February 2015). "Cyclone Marcia to bring high winds, flooding to southern Queensland". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2019.

External links

• Cyclone Damage