A tropical low formed in the Coral Sea east of Lockhart River on the 4th March. The low drifted to the southwest and intensified to become Tropical Cyclone Hamish on the 5th March. It continued in a south to southwest direction and intensified over the following 24 hours, before taking a south-south-easterly track parallel to the coast. Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish reached category 3 intensity on the 6th March and, in conditions favourable for further development, intensified to category 5 on 7th March. Hamish continued its southeast track parallel to the coast and maintained category 4 intensity or higher for the following few days. Eventually it moved into a region of increasing wind shear, and by the 10th March the system became sheared with the upper circulation captured by strong upper winds. The low level circulation then meandered back to the north and northwest while weakening to below tropical cyclone intensity in the following 24 hours.
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Hamish passed close to a number of Automatic Weather Stations in the Coral Sea, which provided valuable data on the system. Gannet Cay recorded a pressure of 949.2 hPa and a wind gust of 190 kph, prior the anemometer failing on the morning of the 9th March.
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish threatened to track near a number of offshore Islands, with associated damaging winds, large waves and elevated sea levels. Evacuations of the Whitsunday group of Islands, Heron, Lady Elliott and Fraser Island were organised prior to the potential impact of the system.
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A fishing trawler capsized in the Swains Reef area as Hamish passed nearby. One of the 3 crew was rescued, but two remain missing. A bulk carrier off Stradbroke Island lost its cargo of containers in large waves, and leaking oil from its ruptured fuel tanks left an oil slick on Southeast Queensland beaches from the Sunshine Coast to Bribie and Moreton Islands. Dangerous surf conditions also affected southeast Queensland beaches.
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