South Pacific tropical cyclones of category 4 and above in the 1997 to 2009 seasons

Map of 13 locations in South Pacific

A time-ordered record of the strongest tropical cyclones catalogued in the South Pacific basin between the 1997 and 2009 seasons, each reaching category 4 or 5 at peak. Tracks run from first identification as a depression or low through to dissipation, crossing island groups from Samoa and Tonga west to the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, the Solomons and the coasts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Historical entries drawn from the catalogue and from pages describing each storm.

Places in this collection

  • Cyclone Hamish (2009) — A tropical low formed in the Coral Sea east of Lockhart River on 4 March 2009, reached category 3 on 6 March and intensified to category 5…
  • Cyclone Xavier (2006) — Xavier formed on 20 October 2006 north of the Santa Cruz Islands as a pre-season system and reached peak 10-minute winds of 175 km/h early…
  • Cyclone Monica (2006) — Monica was the most intense cyclone on record to impact Australia in terms of maximum sustained winds. Travelling west, it intensified into…
  • Cyclone Larry (2006) — Larry crossed the coast of Far North Queensland close to Innisfail on 20 March 2006, the eye passing between Gordonvale and Tully between 6…
  • Cyclone Ingrid (2005) — Ingrid was a compact but very powerful system that struck northern Australia in March 2005. Its eye, carrying destructive wind gusts up to…
  • Cyclone Nancy (2005) — Forming out of an area of low pressure on 10 February 2005, Nancy organised quickly into a small but intense cyclone and was the second of…
  • Cyclone Olaf (2005) — On 16 February 2005 satellite imagery showed a well-defined eye as Olaf strengthened into a category 5 cyclone, with a peak intensity of 16…
  • Cyclone Meena (2005) — Meena was the first of four tropical cyclones to affect the Cook Islands during February 2005. It passed within 160 km of American Samoa's…
  • Cyclone Fay (2004) — Fay formed from a tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria, was named in the Timor Sea, and reached category 5 intensity off the Kimberley c…
  • Cyclone Dovi (2003) — Dovi developed east of Samoa in early February 2003 and tracked southwest to pass east of Niue on the 9th before turning southeast. Estimat…
  • Cyclone Beni (2003) — Beni crossed the South Pacific over an 18-day journey in January and February 2003, affecting four countries. Travelling between Vanuatu an…
  • Cyclone Thelma (1998) — A tropical low was first identified in the Arafura Sea north of Arnhem Land on 1 December 1998, and by 0000 UTC on 6 December it sat about…
  • Cyclone Ron (1998) — The system was first noted as a tropical depression northeast of Samoa on 1 January 1998, and went on to become the strongest cyclone on re…

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