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Tropical Cyclone Hilda

Western Australian Regional Office


Track of Tropical Cyclone Hilda

Tropical Cyclone Hilda was the first tropical cyclone of the 2017/2018 to affect the Australian mainland. It reached category 2 intensity and affected parts of the northwest Kimberley including Broome and Bidyadanga.
A tropical low was first identified on Tuesday 26 December just off the northwest Kimberley coast, about 330 kilometres north of Derby. The system developed as it travelled south southwest parallel to the coast moving over land southwest of Cape Leveque on Wednesday 27 December. It continued to move south southwest just inland of the coast of the Dampier Peninsula before being named Tropical Cyclone Hilda at 5 pm AWST Wednesday 27 December near Broome and soon after reached category 2 intensity over water.

Hilda made landfall at 11 pm AWST Wednesday just north of Bidyadanga and weakened into a tropical low by 2 pm AWST Thursday 28 December as it moved south southeast inland.
Some structural and vegetation damage was reported at both Bidyadanga and at Eco Beach resort (about 80km northeast of Bidyadanga) as the system passed by. Minor vegetation damage and felled trees were reported at Broome.
Broome Airport recorded a maximum wind gust of 100 kilometres per hour. Broome Port (a non-standard height AWS) recorded a maximum gust of 139 kilometres per hour. Heavy rainfall occurred along mainly coastal locations of the northwest Kimberley coast with 24 hour totals of 292mm at Cygnet Bay (to 9am on 27 December) and 201mm at Kilto Station (to 9am 28 December) being recorded. Localised flooding was reported in Broome and road disturbances due to water occurred throughout the western Kimberley, eastern Pilbara and the North and South Interior districts.
Hilda was the second tropical cyclone in the Australian region and the first to make landfall for the 2017/18 season.
**All information relating to intensity and track is preliminary information based on operational estimates and subject to change following post analysis.**


Coastal Crossing Details
Crossing time: 11 pm AWST Wednesday 27 December 2017
Crossing location: Bidyadanga
  24 km NNE of Bidyadanga
Category when crossing the coast: 2


Extreme values during cyclone event (estimated)
Note that these values may be changed on the receipt of later information
Maximum Category: 2
Maximum sustained wind speed: 95 km/h
Maximum wind gust: 130 km/h
Lowest central pressure: 980 hPa