Summary
A low formed in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on 7 January 2018, during an active phase of the monsoon trough. The low initially tracked west southwest which took it inland across the far north of Western Australia during 8 and 9 January. On 10 January the low moved offshore north of the Dampier Peninsular and began to develop.
Joyce took a southerly track and reached tropical cyclone strength at 1200 Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) (2000 Australian Western Standard Time (AWST)) 11 January (AWST = UTC + 8 hours). The tropical cyclone reached a 10-minute mean wind peak intensity of 50 knots (kn) (93 kilometres per hour (km/h)) at 1200 UTC 11 January just prior to touching the coast near Bidyadanga. Joyce then turned west- southwest and moved parallel to the Pilbara coastline. The tropical cyclone moved inland around 10 kilometres (km) west of Wallal Downs at 0700 UTC 12 January as a category 1 system and then weakened quickly. The remnants of Joyce continued to move through western parts of Western Australia before moving offshore again north of Geraldton on 15 January.
The most notable impact of Joyce was rainfall, there were numerous 24-hour rainfall totals in excess of 75 millimetres (mm) with some falls exceeding 150 mm. Heavy rainfall continued over western parts of Western Australian between 13 and 16 January with widespread falls of 40 to 80 mm and some totals in excess of 100 mm. Many sites recorded their wettest January day or wettest day on record. In the 24 hours to 9 am AWST 12 January Mandora recorded 150 mm which was a January daily record and the highest total for this for event.
Multiple Flood Watches and Warnings were issued for the De Grey, Gascoyne, Greenough, Moore Hill, Ord River catchments and the Sandy Desert and West Kimberley river districts with some minor flooding recorded in the De Grey and Gascoyne River catchments.
For more information see the TC Joyce Report (pdf).
Track and Intensity
