Summary
Tropical cyclone Willy , the final event for the 1993-94 season, formed to the northwest of the Cocos Islands on 28 April. The cyclone appeared to intensify in response to a surge in the south-easterly trades and a strengthening westerly monsoonal flow as a tropical cyclone developed near 6°N 92°E. It was also located in an area of upper diffluence. Willy passed about 80 kilometres west of the Islands during the evening of 29 April causing gale-force winds for a period of about three hours. Sustained winds reached 22 m/s and a maximum wind gust of 28 m/s was recorded. There was no damage reported on the Islands. It then weakened rapidly and moved away to the southwest. Cyclone warnings were issued for the Cocos Islands and the community was evacuated to cyclone shelters for a period.
Willy was initially steered by the high to middle-level northerly flow and was located in an area of low shear. Near the Cocos Islands Willy encountered stronger lower-level easterlies that caused it shear. The low-level centre then moved off in a southwesterly direction and weakened.
For more details see the TC Willy Report (pdf)
Track and intensity
All times in WST - subract 8 hours to convert to UTC.
