2024–25 Australian region cyclone season

2024–25 Australian region cyclone season
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formed18 November 2024
Last system dissipatedSeason ongoing
Strongest storm
NameRobyn
 • Maximum winds100 km/h (65 mph)
(10-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure985 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Tropical lows5
Tropical cyclones1
Severe tropical cyclones0
Total fatalities52 total
Total damageUnknown
Related articles
Australian region tropical cyclone seasons
2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27

The 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season is an ongoing weather event in the southern hemisphere. The season has officially started on 1 November 2024 and will end on 30 April 2025, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by one of the three tropical cyclone warning centres (TCWCs) for the region which are operated by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, National Weather Service of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and the Fiji Meteorological Service will also monitor the basin during the season.

Season forecasts

Source/Record Tropical
Cyclone
Severe
Tropical Cyclone
Ref
Record high: 21 12 [1]
Record low: 3 0 [1]
Average (1969–70 – 2023–24): 11 [2]

Ahead of the season officially starting on 1 November, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) both issued a tropical cyclone outlook that discussed the upcoming season.[2][3] These outlooks took into account a variety of factors such as a developing weak to moderate La Niña event and what had happened in previous seasons such as 1983–84, 1995–96, 2005–06 and 2017–18.[2][3] The Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook issued by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in conjunction with MetService, the BoM and various other Pacific meteorological services, predicted that six to ten tropical cyclones would occur over the South Pacific Ocean between 135°E and 120°W.[3] The outlook also predicted that three to four of these tropical cyclones would intensify further and become either a Category three, four or five severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale.[3] In addition to contributing towards the Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook, the BoM predicted that tropical cyclone activity within the whole region between 90°E – 160°E and each of its self defined subregions would be near normal.[2] They also warned that the likelihood of a severe tropical cyclone was higher than average because of the warmer than average ocean temperatures that had been forecast for the region.[2]

Season summary

Cyclone Robyn (2024)Tropical cyclone scales#Comparisons across basins

Systems

Tropical Cyclone Robyn

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
Duration18 November – 30 November
Peak intensity100 km/h (65 mph) (10-min);
985 hPa (mbar)

On 14 November, the Bureau of Meteorology noted that a tropical low could form west of Sumatra.[4] Several days later, they noted that the tropical low was developing.[5] Further consolidation due to a westerly wind burst, which also spawned a twin cyclone, prompted the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to first track it on 23 November.[6] Despite deep convection being displaced due to moderate to high wind shear, the system's circulation became increasingly defined, prompting the JTWC to issue a tropical cyclone formation alert on the disturbance.[7]

Tropical Low 04U

Tropical low (Australian scale)
 
Duration4 December – 11 December
Peak intensity45 km/h (30 mph) (10-min);
1001 hPa (mbar)

A tropical low formed off the southwestern coast of Java on 4 December. The storm caused floods and landslides in Sukabumi Regency, West Java, killing eight people and leaving seven others missing, with one home destroyed and 39 others damaged in the regency.[8] Flooding also killed three people in Lebak Regency, Banten.[9]

Tropical Low 02U

Tropical low (Australian scale)
 
Duration7 December – 13 December
Peak intensity55 km/h (35 mph) (10-min);
998 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Low 06U

Tropical low (Australian scale)
Subtropical depression (SSHWS)
 
Duration21 December – 23 December
Peak intensity45 km/h (30 mph) (10-min);
998 hPa (mbar)

A tropical low formed in Coral Sea on 21 December.

Tropical Low 07U

Tropical low (Australian scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
 
Duration22 December – Present
Peak intensity65 km/h (40 mph) (10-min);
998 hPa (mbar)

A tropical low formed southeast of the Cocos Islands on 22 December.

Storm names

Bureau of Meteorology

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC Melbourne) monitors all tropical cyclones that form within the Australian region, including any within the areas of responsibility of TCWC Jakarta or TCWC Port Moresby.[10] Should a tropical low reach tropical cyclone strength within the BoM's area of responsibility, it will be assigned the next name from the following naming list. The names that will be used for the 2024–25 season are listed below:

  • Robyn
  • Sean (unused)
  • Taliah (unused)
  • Vince (unused)
  • Zelia (unused)
  • Anthony (unused)
  • Bianca (unused)
  • Courtney (unused)
  • Dianne (unused)
  • Errol (unused)
  • Fina (unused)
  • Grant (unused)

TCWC Jakarta

TCWC Jakarta monitors Tropical Cyclones from the Equator to 11°S and from 90°E to 145°E. Should a Tropical Depression reach Tropical Cyclone strength within TCWC Jakarta's Area of Responsibility then it will be assigned the next name from the following list.[10]

  • Bakung (unused)
  • Cempaka (unused)
  • Dahlia (unused)
  • Flamboyan (unused)
  • Kenanga (unused)
  • Lili (unused)

TCWC Port Moresby

Tropical cyclones that develop north of 11°S between 151°E and 160°E are assigned names by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Tropical cyclone formation in this area is rare, with no cyclones being named in it since 2007.[11] As names are assigned in a random order, the whole list is shown below:

  • Alu (unused)
  • Buri (unused)
  • Dodo (unused)
  • Emau (unused)
  • Fere (unused)
  • Hibu (unused)
  • Ila (unused)
  • Kama (unused)
  • Lobu (unused)
  • Maila (unused)

Season effects

This table lists all of the tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones that were monitored during the 2024–2025 Australian region cyclone season. Information on their intensity, duration, name, areas affected, primarily comes from RSMC Australia. Death and damage reports come from either press reports or the relevant national disaster management agency while the damage totals are given in 2024 or 2025 USD.

Name Dates Peak intensity Areas affected Damage
(USD)
Deaths Refs
Category Wind speed Pressure
Robyn 18–30 Nov Category 2 tropical cyclone 100 (65) 985 Indonesia (Sumatra, Java), Cocos Islands Unknown 41
04U 4–11 Dec Tropical low 45 (30) 1001 Indonesia (Java), Cocos Islands Unknown 11
02U 7–13 Dec Tropical low 55 (35) 998 None None 0
06U 21–23 Dec Tropical low 45 (30) 998 Australia None 0
07U 22 Dec – Present Tropical low 65 (40) 998 Cocos Islands None 0
Season aggregates
5 systems 18 November 2024 – Season Ongoing 100 km/h (65 mph) 985 hPa (29.09 inHg) None 52

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Australian Tropical Cyclone Database" (CSV). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023. A guide on how to read the database is available here.
  2. ^ a b c d e Australian tropical cyclone season long-range forecast for 2024 to 2025 (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 9 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d 2024-25 Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Outlook (PDF) (Report). New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Tropical cyclone 7 day forecast". Bureau of Meteorology. 15 November 2024. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Tropical cyclone 7 day forecast". Bureau of Meteorology. 20 November 2024. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  6. ^ Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Indian Ocean, 1830Z 23 November 2024 Reissued (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  7. ^ Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (Invest 96S) Reissued (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Tujuh Orang Masih Hilang Akibat Banjir Bandang di Sukabumi" (in Indonesian). Tempo. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Tiga Warga Lebak Meninggal Akibat Banjir dan Longsor". Indopos (in Indonesian). 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (2023). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2023 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  11. ^ Gary Padgett (2008). "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary October". Australian Severe Weather. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.