1971–72 Australian region cyclone season

Tropical low (Australian scale)
Tropical depression (SSHWS)
	<img src="//up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Kitty_1971-12-02.png/150px-Kitty_1971-12-02.png" decoding="async" width="150" height="170" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="306" data-file-height="347"> <img src="//up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Kitty_1971_track.png/150px-Kitty_1971_track.png" decoding="async" width="150" height="93" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="2700" data-file-height="1669">
Duration	December 2 – December 5
Peak intensity	55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);; 1000 hPa (mbar)

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
	<img src="//up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Rhoda_1971-10-22.png/150px-Rhoda_1971-10-22.png" decoding="async" width="150" height="195" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="235" data-file-height="306"> <img src="//up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Rhoda_1971_track.png/150px-Rhoda_1971_track.png" decoding="async" width="150" height="93" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="2700" data-file-height="1669">
Duration	October 20 – October 26
Peak intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min);; 980 hPa (mbar)

1971–72 Australian region cyclone season
1971–72 Australian region cyclone season
	Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed	20 October 1971
Last system dissipated	1 June 1972
Strongest storm
Name	Emily
• Maximum winds	185 km/h (115 mph); (10-minute sustained)
• Lowest pressure	942 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Tropical lows	18
Tropical cyclones	17
Severe tropical cyclones	12
Total fatalities	Unknown
Total damage	Unknown
Related articles
	1971–72 South Pacific cyclone season; 1971–72 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season;
	Australian region tropical cyclone seasons; 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74

The 1971–72 Australian region cyclone season was a very active tropical cyclone season.

Season summary

Systems

Tropical Cyclone Rhoda

Tropical Cyclone Rhoda existed from October 20 to October 26.

Tropical Low Kitty

Kitty existed from 2 to 5 December 1971 in the Arafura Sea

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sally

Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	December 3 – December 11
Peak intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (10-min); 950 hPa (mbar)

Sally, 3 to 13 December 1971 crossed coast near Broome, Western Australia.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea

Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	December 19 – December 29
Peak intensity	165 km/h (105 mph) (10-min); 952 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Cyclone Althea was a Category 4 cyclone when it hit the coast some 50 km north of Magnetic Island and Townsville in North Queensland on December 24, 1971.^[1] Althea produced peak gust wind speeds between 123 and 145 miles per hour (197 and 233 km/h). Three people died and property damage was estimated at A$115 million loss (1990 value). On Magnetic Island 90% of the houses were damaged or destroyed.^[2] In Townsville houses were lifted from their foundations and most trees stripped of foliage. Althea was also notable at the time, as it had struck a major city.

Although there was a dangerous storm surge associated with TC Althea (between 2.8 and 3.6 metres) little flooding occurred because the cyclone made landfall on a low tide. However, the combination of storm surge and wave action demolished The Strand sea wall and houses in low-lying areas were inundated with up to 0.6 metres of water.

Tropical Cyclone Bronwyn

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)

Duration	January 2 – January 12
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min); 993 hPa (mbar)

Bronwyn, 3 to 12 January 1972 in Gulf of Carpentaria

Severe Tropical Cyclone Carlotta

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	January 5 – January 11 (Crossed 160°E)
Peak intensity	120 km/h (75 mph) (10-min); 976 hPa (mbar)

Carlotta, 5 to 21 January 1972 well off Queensland

Severe Tropical Cyclone Wendy

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	February 6 (Crossed 160°E) – February 9
Peak intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min); 976 hPa (mbar)

Wendy, 30 January to 9 February 1972.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Daisy

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	February 6 – February 14
Peak intensity	155 km/h (100 mph) (10-min); 959 hPa (mbar)

Daisy, 7 to 14 February 1972 off Queensland, caused some flooding near Brisbane

Severe Tropical Cyclone Tessie-Gigi

Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	February 20 – February 27 (Crossed 80°E)
Peak intensity	175 km/h (110 mph) (10-min); 950 hPa (mbar)

Tessie, 20 to 27 February 1972 in central Indian Ocean

Severe Tropical Cyclone Vicky

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	February 24 – March 4
Peak intensity	140 km/h (85 mph) (10-min); 961 hPa (mbar)

Vicky, 24 February to 4 March 1972 crossed Western Australian coast at Cockatoo Island.

Tropical Cyclone Angela

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)

Duration	February 29 – March 3
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (10-min); 994 hPa (mbar)

Angela, 29 February to 3 March 1972 near Cocos Island and Christmas Island

Tropical Cyclone Belinda

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)

Duration	March 20 – March 29
Peak intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min); 980 hPa (mbar)

Belinda, 20 to 30 March 1972 near Christmas Island

Severe Tropical Cyclone Emily

Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	March 27 – April 2
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (10-min); 942 hPa (mbar)

Emily, 27 March to 4 April 1972 off Queensland, eight lives lost at sea

Severe Tropical Cyclone Carol

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	April 6 – April 14
Peak intensity	150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min); 965 hPa (mbar)

Carol, 6 to 14 April 1972 in the central Indian Ocean.

Tropical Cyclone Faith

Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)

Duration	April 10 – April 24
Peak intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min); 990 hPa (mbar)

Faith, 11 to 23 April 1972 in Torres Strait and Coral Sea off Queensland

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gail

Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	April 11 – April 14 (Crossed 160°E)
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (10-min); 945 hPa (mbar)

Gail, 11 to 18 April 1972 well off Queensland

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hannah

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	May 8 – May 11
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min); 970 hPa (mbar)

Hannah, 8 to 11 May near Papua New Guinea

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ida

Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)

Duration	May 30 – June 1 (Crossed 160°E)
Peak intensity	130 km/h (80 mph) (10-min); 970 hPa (mbar)

Ida, 30 May to 3 June 1972 near Solomon Islands causing $70 million damage.

References

^ "Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea. Summary". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
^ "Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea. Summary". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2011-02-02.

External links

[bomalthea2-1] "Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea. Summary". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2011-03-05.

[bomalthea-2] "Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea. Summary". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2011-02-02.

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