A low formed off the west Kimberley coast on 10 February and moved to the northwest. At 9am WDT Wednesday 13 February the low reached tropical cyclone intensity and was named Nicholas.
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Nicholas completed a loop off the west Kimberley coast then intensified into a category 2 cyclone at 6am 14 February as it tracked in a general west southwest direction. Nicholas further intensified into a severe category 3 cyclone by midday 16 February when it was 415km north of Port Hedland. From 18 February Nicholas moved on a south southwest then southerly track passing about 45 kilometres to the west of Exmouth at 6pm 19 February. By this stage Nicholas was gradually weakening as it moved over cooler waters.
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Nicholas crossed the coast as a category 1 cyclone at 10 am 20 February approximately 60 kilometres south southwest of Coral Bay and weakened into a tropical low by 3pm the same day.
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Heavy rain fell through the west Gascoyne, Murchison extending into the adjacent Goldfields and northern parts of the South West Land Division. There were scattered falls in excess of 100 mm and Burnerbinmah in the Murchison recorded 203mm of rain over three days.
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