Queensland Hit by TC Anthony, Perth by TC Bianca – RMS Report

Tropical Cyclone Anthony made landfall over the coast of the Australian State of Queensland on Sunday, close to the town of Bowen, and approximately 275 miles (440 kms) southeast of Cairns.

An analysis of the storm from Risk Management Solutions notes that, “according to UNISYS, the storm was the equivalent of a Category 1 cyclone on the Australian Region Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale, and a tropical storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. No major damage has been reported from the region, though the cyclone did bring heavy rain, and is reported to have caused localized flooding.

“The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has reported rainfall accumulations over 100 mm [3.937 inches] in the past 24 hours, south of where Anthony made landfall, particularly in areas around Mackay. The remnants of Anthony are expected to affect the region through Tuesday, February 1, with a large band of rain stretching around 300 miles [480 kms] inland, which could produce up to 50mm [7.9685 inches] of rainfall. As of Monday, there are no flood warnings in effect for this area of the state.

“According to the Queensland Resources Council, two major coal export terminals in Bowen were closed because of Anthony — further disrupting the mining industry that was significantly affected by the flooding over the past two months.”

On the opposite side of the island continent RMS noted that “Tropical Cyclone Bianca weakened rapidly over the weekend while transitioning to an extra-tropical storm, and before crossing the coast near Perth on Sunday, January 30 as an extra-tropical low pressure system. As of Monday, the system has dissipated.

“Bianca brought little rain to the southwestern region of Western Australia, which has experienced severe rainfall deficiencies over the past 12 months. Extra-tropical events in this part of the country are known to trigger bushfires due to the strong, dry winds on the left hand side of the storm track, despite the increased fire risk, there are no reports of bushfires igniting as a result of Bianca.”

Emily Paterson, catastrophe response analyst at RMS, added: “On Saturday, a series of severe thunderstorms, most likely unrelated to the cyclone, affected Perth and the surrounding regions as Bianca approached the region offshore. These storms caused torn roofs, downed trees and power lines, as well as localized flooding. Damage was reported in Perth and regional towns to the east, and power was cut to around 55,000 homes.”

Source: Risk Management Solutions

Topics Flood Australia