ALICE
1975-76 season · AU197576_12U
History
Severe Tropical Cyclone Alice was a long-lived and powerful late-season system that spent its entire life over water off Australia's east coast in March 1976. The storm began as a tropical low embedded in an active monsoon trough over the central Coral Sea on 3 March. Drifting south-southwestward across very warm waters, the low organised quickly and was given the name Alice by the Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane on 4 March.
Steered southward between a ridge anchored over eastern Australia and an upper-level trough to its west, Alice ran roughly parallel to the Queensland coastline while remaining well offshore. Intensification was rapid, and on 7 March the cyclone reached Category 4 severe tropical cyclone strength on the Australian scale while positioned east of Fraser Island (K'gari). At this peak, the central pressure fell to an estimated 940 hPa, with maximum ten-minute sustained winds of around 165–175 km/h and gusts over the open ocean exceeding 230 km/h.
Moving on into the Tasman Sea, Alice encountered conflicting steering currents that caused it to slow markedly and trace a clockwise loop off the northern New South Wales coast between 10 and 13 March. Increasing vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures stripped away its deep convection; the system fell below tropical cyclone intensity on 12 March and dissipated over open water the following day, ending a lifespan of roughly ten days.
Because the destructive eyewall never approached land, Alice caused no direct deaths and no significant structural damage ashore. Its broad circulation nonetheless produced sustained strong winds, squally rain bands and very large swells along the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Northern Rivers districts, where notable beach erosion, beach scouring and damage to boardwalks were recorded. High-seas storm warnings remained in force across the Coral and Tasman Seas for more than a week, and heavy swells kept commercial shipping and fishing fleets confined to sheltered harbours. Alice was one of the more intense systems of an active 1975–76 season.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (89 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-03-02 01:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 115.4 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 115.4 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.9, 115.4 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.9, 115.2 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.9, 114.8 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 114.3 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 113.5 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-02 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 112.8 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 112.1 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 111.7 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 111.3 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 110.9 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 110.5 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 110.1 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 109.7 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-03 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 109.3 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 109.0 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.9 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.7 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.6 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.5 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.4 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 108.4 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-04 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 108.4 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 108.3 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 107.9 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 107.5 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 107.1 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 106.8 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 106.5 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 106.3 | 997 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-05 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 106.1 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 105.9 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 105.7 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 105.6 | 991 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 10:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 105.5 | 990 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 13:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 105.4 | 988 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 16:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 105.3 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 19:00:00 | 1 | -15.7, 105.2 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-06 22:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 105.1 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 01:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 105.0 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 04:00:00 | 1 | -16.3, 104.7 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 07:00:00 | 1 | -16.7, 104.3 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 10:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 104.0 | 990 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 13:00:00 | 1 | -17.2, 103.8 | 994 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 16:00:00 | 1 | -17.2, 103.5 | 995 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 19:00:00 | 1 | -17.2, 103.3 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1976-03-07 22:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 103.1 | 997 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 01:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 102.9 | 999 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 04:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 102.7 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 07:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 102.4 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 10:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 102.1 | 1000 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 13:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 101.9 | 1003 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 16:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 101.5 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 19:00:00 | 1 | -17.2, 101.1 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-08 22:00:00 | 1 | -17.1, 100.7 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 01:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 100.3 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 04:00:00 | 1 | -16.9, 99.7 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 07:00:00 | 1 | -16.8, 99.0 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 10:00:00 | 1 | -16.5, 98.5 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 13:00:00 | 1 | -16.4, 97.9 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 16:00:00 | 1 | -16.2, 97.6 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 19:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 97.3 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-09 22:00:00 | 1 | -15.8, 97.0 | 1004 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 01:00:00 | 1 | -15.7, 96.7 | 1004 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 96.4 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 96.1 | 1002 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 95.8 | 1001 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 95.5 | 1000 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.2, 94.7 | 1000 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 93.9 | 1001 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-10 22:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 93.0 | 1002 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 01:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 92.1 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 91.7 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 91.4 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 91.0 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 13:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 90.6 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 90.0 | 1004 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 89.3 | 1004 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-11 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 88.7 | 1005 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 88.0 | 1006 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 87.4 | 1006 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 86.8 | 1006 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 86.2 | 1006 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 13:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 85.6 | 1006 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 16:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 84.9 | 1007 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 19:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 84.3 | 1007 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-12 22:00:00 | 1 | -13.6, 83.6 | 1007 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1976-03-13 01:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 83.0 | 1007 hPa | 10 km/h |