Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie

16-23 December 2003

Summary

Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie reached category three intensity before crossing the Northern Territory coast between Goulburn Island and Maningrida late on 20 December.

A tropical low formed in the Arafura Sea on 16 December and tracked to the west reaching tropical cyclone intensity overnight from 18-19 December. Debbie then moved to the southwest and peaked at category 3 intensity on 20 December as it approached the Northern Territory coast.

Debbie crossed the Northern Territory coast late in the evening between Goulburn Is and Maningrida. Debbie then moved south over land, decaying into a rain depression on the morning of 21 December and tracking to the southwest over land for the next few days. As Debbie crossed a sparsely populated section of the coast, no significant structural damage occurred to townships. The communities of Warruwi (on Goulburn Island) and Maningrida suffered some minor structural damage such as lifted sheets of roofing iron. Warruwi sustained tree damage to power lines, with interruptions to both power and water supplies following Debbie 's landfall. The region exposed to Debbie 's core sustained severe vegetation damage, with 30-40 per cent of trees felled in the area.

As the rain depression tracked southwest over the Northern Territory Top End and finally into the Kimberley region of Western Australia, heavy rainfall caused significant rises in river levels with localised flooding in many areas. Charles Point, near Darwin, received 197 mm on 22 December, while Tindal, near Katherine, received 284 mm on 23 December. Roads were cut at the Cullen and Waterhouse rivers due to flooding.

For more information see the .

For more information see the TC Debbie Report (doc).

Track and Intensity (Time in ACST (UTC+9.5h))


Best Track of Tropical Cyclone Debbie