Cyclone activity
You are viewing the archived 2015 report.
Key finding
Queensland has experienced 12 cyclones with a notable number of severe category 4 and 5 impacting on the coast in the 2012-2015 period.
A cyclone is a large, powerful storm which forms over warm tropical water and has very high winds that rotate around an ‘eye’ or area of low barometric pressure. They can persist for many days and travel a considerable distance. Cyclones are a key threat to the coastal environment and communities on the Queensland coast primarily in terms of damage from high velocity winds, coastal erosion and inundation by storm tides.
From 2012-2015, Queensland experienced 12 cyclones; this included several extreme intensity category 4 and 5 cyclones.
Cyclone frequency and intensity can vary markedly from year to year and over decades and are influenced by a number of factors, and in particular variations in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
More information:
- Cyclone reports
( http://qldgov.softlinkhosting.com.au ) - Tropical cyclone trends ( http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/climatology/trends.shtml )
Indicator: Cyclone activity
A map showing the movement tracks of recent cyclone events within the SOE period (2012-2015). Data is current as at February 2015.
