Summary
Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily peaked as a category 3 system in the Coral Sea shortly before crossing the north Queensland coast in the vicinity of Balgal Beach, Rollingstone, about 50 km northwest of Townsville, as a Category 1 tropical cyclone.
The system was first identified as a tropical low (05U), which formed along the monsoon trough in the Coral Sea, approximately 150 km NE of Willis Island, during 17 January. Strong monsoon winds initially steered the system east, but during the 19-20 January, 05U slowed and turned towards the southwest. The system then developed slowly over the next four days and was named Tropical Cyclone Kirrily at 0600 UTC (4pm AEST) 24 January (AEST=UTC+10), about 50 km southeast of Lihou reef. Kirrily then turned west-southwest, towards the Queensland coast, and began to develop more rapidly. The system reached a peak intensity of category 3 strength (65 kn, 120 km/h mean winds) at 0300 UTC (1pm AEST) 25 January. On its final approach towards the coast, however, Kirrily began to weaken quite rapidly. It crossed the north Queensland coast, in the vicinity of Balgal Beach, Rollingstone, at 1200 UTC (10pm AEST) 25 January as a category 1 cyclone. It then weakened quickly as it moved inland, decreasing to below tropical cyclone intensity by 1800 UTC 25 January (4am AEST 26 January).
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily then moved west and north across central and western Qld. During 1 February, the system strengthened as it moved just offshore over the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Gales developed on the northern side of Kirrily, but it did not redevelop into a tropical cyclone. Intermittent gales occurred at Mornington Island Airport for nearly 24 hours, which recorded its equal highest wind gust of 55 kn (102 km/h) at 1137 UTC (9:37pm AEST) February 1. Early on 2 February, Kirrily moved back over land and the northern gales eased. During the following days Kirrily moved to the south near the Queensland Northern Territory Border. On 5 February Kirrily interacted with an upper trough which resulted in another episode of strengthening and caused a brief period of gales on the eastern side of the system, recorded at Ballera in southwest Queensland for several hours from 2000 UTC 4 February (6am AEST 5 February). Later that day, ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily merged into an existing trough over southeastern Australia.
As Kirrily moved over the tropical coast and then inland across Queensland it led to heavy rainfall, as well as widespread flooding for western Queensland.
For more information see the TC Kirrily Report (doc).
Track and Intensity(Time in AEST)
