1986–87 Australian region cyclone season
| 1986–87 Australian region cyclone season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | 9 January 1987 |
| Last system dissipated | 27 May 1987 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Elsie |
| • Maximum winds | 215 km/h (130 mph) |
| • Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Tropical lows | 9, 1 unofficial |
| Tropical cyclones | 8, 1 unofficial |
| Severe tropical cyclones | 3 |
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Total damage | Unknown |
| Related articles | |
The 1986–87 Australian region cyclone season was the latest starting Australian season on record. A below-average tropical cyclone season, it officially started on 1 November 1986, and officially ended on 30 April 1987, with the last system dissipating on 27 May.
Seasonal summary[edit]
Systems[edit]
Tropical Storm 07S[edit]
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | 9 January – 13 January |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min); |
07S existed from 9 to 13 January 1987, in the northwest corner of the basin. While the system was not monitored by the Bureau of Meteorology, it was considered a tropical storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
Severe Tropical Cyclone Connie[edit]
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | 15 January – 23 January |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min); 950 hPa (mbar) |
Connie, 15 to 23 January 1987. Made landfall over Port Hedland on 19 January. Moderate damage was reported in Port Hedland and Whim Creek.
Tropical Cyclone Irma[edit]
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | 19 January – 22 January |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min); 978 hPa (mbar) |
Irma, 19 to 22 January 1987, Gulf of Carpentaria.
Tropical Cyclone Damien[edit]
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | 30 January – 9 February |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min); 980 hPa (mbar) |
Damien, 30 January to 9 February 1987, near Western Australia.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Jason[edit]
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | 4 February – 14 February |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 140 km/h (85 mph) (10-min); 970 hPa (mbar) |
Jason stuck the Northern Territory in February, 1987 damaging 20 buildings.[1][2]
Severe Tropical Cyclone Elsie[edit]
| Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | 21 February – 27 February |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 185 km/h (115 mph) (10-min); 940 hPa (mbar) |
On 21 February, Cyclone Elsie formed near Western Australia. The storm then made landfall near the same region. Catastrophic damage was reported at Mandora Station.[3]
Tropical Cyclone Kay[edit]
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | 6 April – 17 April |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min); 976 hPa (mbar) |
Kay lasted from 6 to 17 April 1987. The storm impacted Papua New Guinea and Western Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Blanche[edit]
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | 22 May (entered basin) – 27 May |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min); 990 hPa (mbar) |
Blanch, entered the Australian region basin on 22 May, and dissipated on 27 May 1987, off the east coast of Australia.
Other systems[edit]
The precursor tropical low to Cyclone Uma formed within the region on 4 February, before it crossed 160°E and moved into the South Pacific basin later that day.[4] The precursor tropical low to Cyclone Veli formed during the next day, about 725 km (450 mi) to the south-east of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.[4] During the next day, the low moved eastward and gradually developed further, before it became equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, as it reached its 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (55 mph).[4] As the system continued to move eastwards it crossed 160°E and moved into the South Pacific basin during 7 February, before TCWC Nadi named it Veli later that day on the basis of satellite derived evidence.[4][5]
Seasonal effects[edit]
| Name | Dates | Peak intensity | Areas affected | Damages (AU$) |
Damages (US$) |
Deaths | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Wind speed (km/h (mph)) |
Pressure (hPa) | |||||||
| Connie | 15–23 January | Category 3 tropical cyclone | 155 km/h (95 mph) | 950 hPa (28.05 inHg) | Western Australia | ||||
| Irma | 19–22 January | Category 2 tropical cyclone | 110 km/h (70 mph) | 978 hPa (28.88 inHg) | Western Australia, Northern Territory | ||||
| Damien | 30 January – 9 February | Category 2 tropical cyclone | 95 km/h (60 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | Western Australia | ||||
| Uma | 4 February | Tropical Low | 55 km/h (35 mph) | 997 hPa (29.4 inHg) | None | None | None | None | [4] |
| Jason | 4–14 February | Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | Northern Territory, Queensland | ||||
| Veli | 5–7 February | Category 1 tropical cyclone | 85 km/h (55 mph) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | None | None | None | None | [4][5] |
| Elsie | 21–27 February | Category 4 severe tropical cyclone | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 940 hPa (27.76 inHg) | Northern Territory, Western Australia | Significant | Significant | ||
| Kay | 19–26 April | Category 2 tropical cyclone | 100 km/h (60 mph) | 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) | Queensland, Papua New Guinea, Northern Territory, Western Australia | ||||
| Blanch(e) | 22–27 May | Category 1 tropical cyclone | 110 km/h (70 mph) | 990 hPa (29.23 inHg) | Solomon Islands, Vanuatu | ||||
| Season aggregates | |||||||||
| 9 systems | 20 November – 27 May | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 940 hPa (27.76 inHg) | Unknown | |||||
See also[edit]
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1987, 1988
- Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1987, 1988
- Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1987, 1988
- North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1987, 1988
References[edit]
- ^ "Severe Tropical Cyclone Jason". Bureau of Meteorology. 1987. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD/ NT, Cyclone (Incl Storm Surge)". ema.gov.au. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Severe Tropical Cyclone Elsie" (PDF). Bureau of Meteorology. 1987. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f MetService (22 May 2009). "TCWC Wellington Best Track Data 1967–2006". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Singh, Sudah; Fiji Meteorological Service (1987). DeAngellis, Richard M (ed.). Tropical Cyclone Veli (Mariners Weather Log: Volume 31: Issue 3: Summer 1987). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. pp. 24–25. hdl:2027/uiug.30112104093965. ISSN 0025-3367. OCLC 648466886. Retrieved 29 May 2013.