Summary
A low formed in an active monsoon trough approximately 645 kilometres (km) to the north of Karratha around 1200 Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) 18 December (2000 Australian Western Standard Time (AWST)=UTC+8 hours). The low drifted west and then north before being steered back to the east on 20 December. Yvette reached tropical cyclone strength at 1200 UTC 20 December and attained a ten-minute mean wind peak intensity of 45 knots (kn) (83 kilometres per hour (km/h)) at 0600 UTC 21 December. Yvette weakened quickly under increased vertical wind shear and was below tropical cyclone strength at 1200 UTC 22 December. During this period, the tropical cyclone had been under a light steering regime and had moved only slowly east. The remnants of Yvette steered towards the Kimberley coast of Western Australia before dissipating over land on 25 December. Ex-Yvette did not cause any wind damage as it made landfall but did produce areas of heavy rainfall. Yvette generated a swell event which caused significant disruption to industry along the Pilbara coast. Swell heights up to 3.5 metres (m) with a period of 10 seconds (s) were experienced late on 19 December.
For more information see the TC Yvette Report (pdf).
Track and Intensity
