Contents

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.

Tropical Cyclone Rhoda existed from October 20 to October 26.

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

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

Tropical Cyclone Althea was a Category 4 cyclone when it hit the coast some 50 km north of Magnetic Island and TownsvilleinNorth 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.

Bronwyn, 3 to 12 January 1972 in Gulf of Carpentaria

Carlotta, 5 to 21 January 1972 well off Queensland

Wendy, 30 January to 9 February 1972.

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

Tessie, 20 to 27 February 1972 in central Indian Ocean

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

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

Belinda, 20 to 30 March 1972 near Christmas Island

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

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

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

Gail, 11 to 18 April 1972 well off Queensland

Hannah, 8 to 11 May near Papua New Guinea

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

• Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1971, 1972
• Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1971, 1972
• Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1971, 1972
• North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1971, 1972

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1971-72 Australian region cyclone season.

• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center
• Tropical Cyclone Warning Center Jakarta (in Indonesian)
• Papua New Guinea National Weather Service