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1969–70 Australian region cyclone season

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1969–70 Australian region cyclone season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed8 November 1969
Last system dissipated9 May 1970
Strongest storm
NameJudy
 • Maximum winds130 km/h (80 mph)
 • Lowest pressure960 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Tropical lows14
Tropical cyclones14
Severe tropical cyclones1
Total fatalities14
Total damageUnknown
Related articles
Australian region tropical cyclone seasons
1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72

The 1969–70 Australian region cyclone season was an above-average tropical cyclone season. It ran from 1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season", with the "tropical cyclone year" for this season lasting from 1 July 1969 to 30 June 1970.

Season summary

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Cyclone AdaTropical cyclone scales#Comparisons across basins

Systems

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Cyclone Blossom

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Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationNovember 8 – November 9
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);

A weak tropical cyclone, Blossom formed on November 8 to the northwest of Cocos Islands. It dissipated, the next day.

Cyclone Diane-Françoise

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Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 3 – January 9 (Exited basin)
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min);
996 hPa (mbar)

A tropical low formed on January 3. It soon developed to become Cyclone Diane, before crossing to the South-West Indian Ocean basin on January 9.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ada

[edit]
Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 3 – January 19
Peak intensity150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min);
962 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Cyclone Ada was a Category 3 cyclone that killed 14 people when it hit Queensland's Whitsunday Island Resorts and the adjacent Whitsunday Coast mainland on January 17, 1970.[1][2]

Resorts and boats were destroyed or severely damaged at Hayman, Daydream and South Molle Islands, as well as the two resorts – Happy Bay and Palm Bay – on Long Island. About 80% of buildings in the mainland centres of Shute Harbour, Airlie Beach and Cannonvale were severely damaged. Some damage occurred also inland at Proserpine where, following 24-hours of heavy rain that accompanied the storm, the Proserpine River peaked at 11.16 metres: its highest recorded flood. Fourteen people died and property damage was estimated at A$390 million (1997 values).[3]

Like Tropical Cyclone Tracy that devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974, Ada was small in diameter (estimated width 30 km) and damage from her path was limited to a comparatively small geographical area. The wind from Tropical Cyclone Ada was not felt in Bowen (60 km to the north) or Mackay (120 km to the south). However, the heavy rains did cause flooding in the Pioneer River (Mackay) and the Don River (Bowen). Before degenerating into a rainstorm Cyclone Ada travelled further inland to the Cathu State Forest (83 km north-west of Mackay behind the small Bruce Highway township of Calen) and caused extensive damage to the eucalypts, rainforest and pine plantations in that area.

It was as a result of complaints about the lack of timely warning about the 1970 cyclone that the Bureau of Meteorology introduced the cyclone warning siren that now accompanies all media broadcasts and telecasts of cyclone warnings in Queensland.

Cyclone Glynis

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Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationJanuary 27 – February 6
Peak intensity140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min);
970 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Glynis formed on January 27 near the Northern Territory. It moved to the southwest before crossing the coast, near Mandurah, Western Australia. It was last noted on February 6. There were no damages and fatalities reported.[4]

Cyclone Harriet-Iseult

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Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 2 – February 3 (Exited basin)
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);

Harriet formed in the western portion of the basin on February 2, strengthening to a tropical storm before moving on the South-West Indian Ocean basin on the next day, where it was renamed Iseult.

Cyclone Ingrid

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Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 9 – February 17
Peak intensity140 km/h (85 mph) (1-min);
970 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Ingrid developed on February 9 near Western Australia. It crossed the coast near Carnarvon, Western Australia on an unknown date, causing severe agricultural damage. It was last noted on February 17, to the west-northwest of Perth.[4]

Cyclone Judy

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Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 9 – February 24
Peak intensity130 km/h (80 mph) (1-min);
960 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Judy was first seen on February 9, developing in the central Indian Ocean. Peaking as a Category 1- equivalent hurricane, it executed a small counterclockwise loop before it was last noted on February 24.

Cyclone Dawn

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Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 10 – February 19
Peak intensity100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min);
980 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Dawn formed on February 10 in the Gulf of Carpentaria, before moving inland. It moved offshore towards the Coral Sea and continued its westward motion. Then it turned to the south until it was last noted on February 19. It affected the Far North Queensland and New Caledonia with heavy rain.[5]

Cyclone Florence

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Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationFebruary 10 – February 12
Peak intensity85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min);
990 hPa (mbar)

A weak cyclone, Florence developed on February 10 in the Coral Sea. It was last noted, two days later.

Cyclone Cindy

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Tropical depression (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 15 – March 20
Peak intensity35 km/h (25 mph) (1-min);
996 hPa (mbar)

Another tropical cyclone, Cindy formed on March 15 in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was last seen on March 20.[5]

Cyclone Kathy-Michelle

[edit]
Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
 
DurationMarch 19 – March 25 (Exited basin)
Peak intensity155 km/h (100 mph) (1-min);
990 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Kathy formed on March 19 in the central Indian Ocean. It moved to the west-southwest before moving on the South-West Indian Ocean basin on March 25, where it was redesignated as Tropical Cyclone Michelle.

Cyclone Isa

[edit]
Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationApril 14 – April 19 (exited basin)
Peak intensity75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min);
990 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Cyclone Isa formed on April 14 near the Solomon Islands. It impacted the island country before it was last noted as it moved out of the basin into the South Pacific basin on April 19.

Cyclone Lulu

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Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
DurationMay 4 – May 9
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min);
996 hPa (mbar)

Cyclone Lulu formed on May 4 to the west of Port Hedland. It moved to the west before striking Western Australia, near Mundabullangana on May 8. It was last noted near Whim Creek, the next day.

It caused flooding around the Pilbara region; however, it was unknown if there are reports of fatalities attributed to the cyclone.

Other systems

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On November 14, a tropical low formed and lasted until the next day. Another tropical low developed on March 1 and was last noted on March 5.

Season effects

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1969–70 Australian region cyclone season
Name Dates Peak intensity Areas affected Damage
(US$)
Deaths
Category Wind speed
(km/h (mph))
Pressure
(hPa)
Blossom 8–9 Nov Category 1 tropical cyclone 65 (40) Not specified Cocos Islands None 0
Unspecified 14–15 Nov Tropical low 45 (30) Not specified None None 0
Ada 3–19 Jan Category 3 severe tropical cyclone 150 (90) 962 Queensland 12 million 14
Diane 3–9 Jan Category 3 severe tropical cyclone 130 (80) 996 None None 0
Glynis 27 Jan – 6 Feb Category 3 severe tropical cyclone 140 (85) 970 Northern Territory, Western Australia Unknown 0
Harriet 2–3 Feb Category 1 tropical cyclone 65 (40) Not specified None None 0
Ingrid 9–17 Feb Category 3 severe tropical cyclone 140 (85) 970 Western Australia Unknown Unknown
Judy 9–24 Feb Category 3 severe tropical cyclone 130 (80) 960 None None 0
Dawn 10–19 Feb Category 2 tropical cyclone 100 (65) 980 Far North Queensland, New Caledonia None 0
Florence 10–12 Feb Category 1 tropical cyclone 85 (50) 990 None None 0
Unspecified 1–5 Mar Tropical low 45 (30) Not specified None None 0
Cindy 15–20 Mar Category 1 tropical cyclone 65 (40) 996 Northern Territory, Queensland None 0
Kathy 19–25 Mar Category 2 tropical cyclone 155 (100) 990 Northern Territory, Queensland None 0
Isa 14–19 Apr Category 1 tropical cyclone 75 (45) 990 Solomon Islands None 0
Lulu 4–9 May Category 1 tropical cyclone 65 (40) 996 Western Australia Unknown Unknown
Season aggregates
15 systems 8 Nov – 9 May 155 (100) 960 12 million 14

See also

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  • Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1969, 1970
  • Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1969, 1970
  • Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1969, 1970
  • North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1969, 1970

References

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  1. ^ Gibbs, W. J. (June 1970). "Report by Director of Meteorology on Cyclone 'Ada'" (PDF). Bureau of Meteorology. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Severe Tropical Cyclone Ada". Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  3. ^ Hills, Ben (16 May 1970). "Rebuilding a daydream". The Age. p. 11. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ a b Tropical Cyclones Affecting Exmouth (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Callaghan, Jeff. "Archive: Known Impacts of Tropical Cyclones, Gulf of Carpentaria, 1885 – 2007" (PDF). Harden Up Queensland. Green Cross Australia.