Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the event of concurrent storms in the same basin. Once storms develop sustained wind speeds of more than 33 knots, names are generally assigned to them from predetermined lists, depending on the basin in which they originate. Some tropical depressions are named in the Western Pacific, while tropical cyclones must contain a significant amount of gale-force winds before they are named in the Southern Hemisphere.
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.
An Australian region tropical cyclone is a non-frontal, low-pressure system that has developed within an environment of warm sea surface temperatures and little vertical wind shear aloft in either the Southern Indian Ocean or the South Pacific Ocean. Within the Southern Hemisphere there are officially three areas where tropical cyclones develop on a regular basis: the South-West Indian Ocean between Africa and 90°E, the Australian region between 90°E and 160°E, and the South Pacific basin between 160°E and 120°W. The Australian region between 90°E and 160°E is officially monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, and the Papua New Guinea National Weather Service, while others like the Fiji Meteorological Service and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also monitor the basin. Each tropical cyclone year within this basin starts on 1 July and runs throughout the year, encompassing the tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 November and lasts until 30 April each season. Within the basin, most tropical cyclones have their origins within the South Pacific convergence zone or within the Northern Australian monsoon trough, both of which form an extensive area of cloudiness and are dominant features of the season. Within this region a tropical disturbance is classified as a tropical cyclone when it has 10-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph) that wrap halfway around the low level circulation centre, while a severe tropical cyclone is classified when the maximum 10-minute sustained wind speeds are greater than 120 km/h (75 mph).
The 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season was a near average tropical cyclone season. It officially started on 1 November 2008, and officially ended on 30 April 2009. This season was also the first time that the BoM implemented a "tropical cyclone year." The regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season"; the "tropical cyclone year" began on 1 July 2008 and ended on 30 June 2009.
Throughout 2006, 133 tropical cyclones formed in seven bodies of water known as tropical cyclone basins. Of these, 80 have been named, including two tropical cyclones in the South Atlantic Ocean, and a tropical cyclone in the Mediterranean Sea, by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h (40 mph). The strongest storms of the year were Typhoon Yagi in the Western Pacific, and Cyclone Glenda of the Australian region. The deadliest and costliest storms of the year were a series of five typhoons that struck the Philippines and China; Chanchu, Bilis, Saomai, Xangsane, and Durian, with most of the damage being caused by Durian of November. So far, 27 Category 3 tropical cyclones formed, including five Category 5 tropical cyclones in the year. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2006, as calculated by Colorado State University was 761 units.
The 2014–15 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season, though it featured numerous intense cyclones. The season officially ran from 1 November 2014, to 30 April 2015, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2014, and 30 June 2015, and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored, by one of the five Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) that are operated in this region.
The 2017–18 Australian region cyclone season was an average period of tropical cyclone formation in the Southern Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between 90°E and 160°E, with 11 named storms, which 3 intensified into severe tropical cyclones. Another two tropical cyclones, Cempaka and Flamboyan occurred outside the Australian region but are included in the descriptions below. The season officially began 1 November 2017 and ended on 30 April 2018; however, tropical cyclones can form at any time of the year, as demonstrated by the first tropical low of the season in early August. Any tropical system that forms between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 will count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by one of the five tropical cyclone warning centres (TCWCs) that operate in this region. Three of the five centres are operated by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Perth, Darwin and Brisbane, while the other two are operated by the National Weather Service of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics in Jakarta. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the United States and other national meteorological services, including Météo-France at Réunion, also monitored the basin during the season.
The 2018–19 Australian region cyclone season was an average season that saw the formation of 11 tropical cyclones, six of which intensified further to become severe tropical cyclones. The season officially began on 1 November 2018 and concluded on 30 April 2019; however, as evidenced by Tropical Low Liua in September 2018 and Tropical Cyclones Lili and Ann in May 2019, tropical cyclones can form at any time of the year. As such, any system existing between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019 would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the National Weather Service of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. The United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Hawaii, and other national meteorological services such as MetService in New Zealand, Météo-France at La Réunion, and the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), also monitored parts of the basin during the season in an unofficial capacity.
The 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season was a below average tropical cyclone season for the waters surrounding Australia between longitudes 90°E and 160°E. The season officially began on 1 November 2019 and ended on 30 April 2020; however, tropical cyclones can form at any time of year, as evidenced by Tropical Cyclone Mangga during May 2020. As such, any system existing between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020 would count towards the season total. The season featured the region's second-latest start on record, with the formation of the first tropical low only occurring on 4 January 2020. A total of eight tropical cyclones formed during the season, which represents the region's least active season since the 2016–17 season. Three systems intensified further into severe tropical cyclones, and three systems made landfall within the region at tropical cyclone intensity. A total of 28 fatalities were caused, either directly or indirectly, as a result of impacts from the season's systems. Cyclone Ferdinand was the strongest of the season reaching Category 4 in late February 2020. However, it was the second-strongest storm, Cyclone Damien, that was the most damaging. Damien was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Western Australia's Pilbara Region since Cyclone Christine in 2013, making landfall directly over the town of Dampier.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gillian was the second most powerful of the 2013–14 Australian region cyclone season and the strongest in the basin in four years. It developed on 8 March, 2014, in the Gulf of Carpentaria offshore northern Australia. It drifted southeastward, moving over northwestern Queensland on 10 March as a weak tropical cyclone, and subsequently turned to the southwest and later to the west. Unfavourable wind shear, land interaction, and dry air prevented much restrengthening, and for several days Gillian was a weak tropical low. The storm moved northward and curved westward around the Top End of northwestern Australia, and subsequently moved across several islands in Indonesia, first Timor on 18 March. On 21 March, Gillian again became a tropical cyclone as it moved away from Indonesia. On the next day, it passed just southeast of Christmas Island as an intensifying storm, and subsequently Gillian underwent rapid deepening. On 23 March, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) estimated peak 10-minute sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph). On the same day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), making it a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Increased wind shear caused the cyclone to rapidly weaken, and both BoM and JTWC discontinued advisories on Gillian on 26 March.
Google Public Alerts Site was an online notification service owned by Google.org that sends safety alerts and launched to the United States, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil on October 30, 2012, and to the Philippines on November 12, 2014. It is part of the Google Crisis Response team and publishes content from its partners of each country. If you activate Google Now, you can see suitable weather and public safety on Google Search and Google Maps.
Tropical Cyclone Cempaka was a tropical cyclone that impacted the island of Java and Bali, Indonesia in November 2017. Although it did not make landfall, Cempaka managed to cause 41 deaths, with more than 20,000 people evacuated and causing around US$83.6 million in damages. Cempaka was the fourth cyclone to be registered in Indonesia by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center of the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) since 2008 and the first since Cyclone Bakung in 2014. It also came closer to making landfall in that country than any other cyclone on record.
Tropical Cyclone Lili was a small and relatively weak off-season tropical cyclone that brought moderate impacts to the Maluku Islands and East Timor, and mild impacts to other parts of eastern Indonesia and far-northern Australia. It was the latest tropical cyclone to exist in the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's northern tropical cyclone region on record, surpassing Severe Tropical Cyclone Verna of 1977. Lili was the tenth tropical cyclone of the 2018–19 Australian region cyclone season, and the second of which to be named by the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics. Lili originated from a tropical low that formed over the Banda Sea on 4 May 2019. The system gradually organised as it tracked slowly southwards, and strengthened into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale on 9 May. Lili reached peak intensity later that day, with ten-minute sustained winds of 75 km/h (47 mph) and a central barometric pressure of 997 hPa (29.44 inHg). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated one-minute mean winds at this time to be at 100 km/h (62 mph). Weakening commenced soon thereafter, and the system fell below cyclone intensity on 10 May after turning to the west. Lili made landfall in northern East Timor the following day as a weak tropical low, and dissipated shortly afterwards.
The year 1992 featured the highest amount of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) on record, with an ACE rating of 1,163.1 units. It would be regarded as one of the most intense tropical cyclone years on record. Throughout the year, 111 tropical cyclones formed, of which 101 were given names by various weather agencies. Five Category 5 tropical cyclones would form in 1992.
Indonesia is an island country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, located in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The largest island nation in the world, the country is the home of over seventeen thousand islands.
During 1991, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 100 systems formed with 75 of these developing further and were named by the responsible warning centre. The strongest tropical cyclone of the year was Typhoon Yuri, which was estimated to have a minimum barometric pressure of 895 hPa (26.43 inHg). The deadliest tropical cyclone was Cyclone BOB 01, which caused 138,866 fatalities in Bangladesh, Northeastern India, Myanmar, Yunnan, while the costliest was Typhoon Mireille, which caused an estimated $10 billion USD in damage after striking Japan. Four Category 5 tropical cyclones formed in 1991.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja was the third-deadliest tropical cyclone on record in the Australian region, behind Cyclone Mahina in 1899 and the Flores cyclone in 1973. Seroja brought historic flooding and landslides to portions of southern Indonesia and East Timor and later went on to make landfall in Western Australia's Mid West region, becoming the first to do so since Cyclone Elaine in 1999. The twenty-second tropical low, seventh tropical cyclone, and third severe tropical cyclone of the 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season, the precursor of Seroja formed off the south coast of Timor island as Tropical Low 22U at 18:00 UTC on 3 April 2021; its genesis was related to convectively coupled equatorial waves. The tropical low moved very slowly near the island, while the system's thunderstorms increased in organization. The low intensified into Tropical Cyclone Seroja by 4 April, while it was passing north of Rote Island, while continuing its slow strengthening trend.
An earthquake occurred 112 km, offshore, north of Maumere in the Flores Sea on 14 December. The quake had a moment magnitude of 7.3 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One person was killed and 173 others suffered injuries.
The 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season is an upcoming weather event in the southern hemipshere. The season will officially start on 1 November 2024 and end on 30 April 2025, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by one of the three tropical cyclone warning centres (TCWCs) for the region which are operated by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, National Weather Service of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and the Fiji Meteorological Service will also monitor the basin during the season.
Jagoi Babang is a district in Bengkayang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. This area is located on the border of West Kalimantan with Sarawak, Malaysia.
