ALTHEA
1971-72 season · AU197172_05U
History
Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea developed from an area of disturbed weather near the Solomon Islands around 19 December 1971, organising into a tropical cyclone by 20 December as it tracked southwest across the Coral Sea. The system reached its peak intensity on 22 December, with 10-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h and a central pressure estimated at 952 hPa, placing it at Category 3 on the Australian scale. Althea made landfall near Rollingstone, approximately 50 km north of Townsville, at 09:00 AEST on 24 December 1971.
The cyclone caused severe destruction across the Townsville region, with gusts reaching 196 km/h recorded at Townsville Airport and a storm surge of 3.66 metres battering the coastline. Coastal erosion caused beaches to recede by up to 15.8 metres, while roads and seawalls were destroyed by heavy surf. On Magnetic Island, around 90% of buildings sustained damage, with communities such as Horseshoe Bay losing nearly all their homes. Thousands of dwellings in Townsville were damaged or destroyed, with roof failures the most widespread problem. Inland, floodwaters cut off major roads across western Queensland and forced hundreds of families to evacuate. Three people were killed, 257 were treated for injuries, and total damage reached approximately A$120 million. The disaster prompted Queensland to introduce its first statewide cyclone-resistant building codes, with Townsville among the first to adopt the new standards. Around 600 Army personnel assisted with recovery efforts.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (82 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-12-19 23:00:00 | 1 | -10.9, 159.0 | 999 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 02:00:00 | 1 | -11.1, 158.8 | 999 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 05:00:00 | 1 | -11.4, 158.6 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 08:00:00 | 1 | -11.6, 158.4 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 11:00:00 | 1 | -11.9, 158.3 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 14:00:00 | 1 | -12.1, 158.1 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 17:00:00 | 1 | -12.4, 157.9 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 20:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 157.7 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-20 23:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 157.5 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 02:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 157.3 | 995 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 05:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 157.0 | 994 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 08:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 156.7 | 993 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 11:00:00 | 1 | -14.1, 156.5 | 991 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 14:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 156.2 | 989 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 17:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 155.8 | 986 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 20:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 155.4 | 984 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-21 23:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 155.0 | 980 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 02:00:00 | 1 | -15.7, 154.5 | 977 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 05:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 154.0 | 973 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 08:00:00 | 1 | -16.3, 153.4 | 968 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 11:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 152.8 | 962 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 14:00:00 | 1 | -16.8, 152.2 | 956 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 17:00:00 | 1 | -16.9, 151.6 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 20:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 151.1 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-22 23:00:00 | 1 | -17.1, 150.5 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 02:00:00 | 1 | -17.4, 150.0 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 05:00:00 | 1 | -17.7, 149.6 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 08:00:00 | 1 | -17.9, 149.0 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 11:00:00 | 1 | -17.9, 148.7 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 14:00:00 | 1 | -18.2, 148.0 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 17:00:00 | 1 | -18.3, 147.5 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 20:00:00 | 1 | -18.6, 147.0 | 952 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-23 23:00:00 | 3 | -19.0, 146.4 | 952 hPa | 46 km/h |
| 1971-12-24 02:00:00 | 2 | -19.4, 145.9 | 975 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 05:00:00 | 2 | -19.9, 145.4 | 988 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 08:00:00 | 2 | -20.2, 145.2 | 988 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 11:00:00 | 2 | -20.3, 145.0 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 14:00:00 | 2 | -20.4, 144.5 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 17:00:00 | 2 | -20.4, 144.0 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 20:00:00 | 2 | -20.4, 143.4 | 993 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-24 23:00:00 | 2 | -20.6, 143.0 | 995 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 02:00:00 | 2 | -20.9, 142.8 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 05:00:00 | 2 | -21.1, 142.7 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 08:00:00 | 2 | -21.5, 142.7 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 11:00:00 | 2 | -21.9, 142.7 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 14:00:00 | 2 | -22.4, 142.8 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 17:00:00 | 2 | -22.9, 142.8 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 20:00:00 | 2 | -23.5, 143.2 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-25 23:00:00 | 2 | -24.1, 143.6 | 998 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 02:00:00 | 2 | -24.6, 144.0 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 05:00:00 | 2 | -24.9, 145.0 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 08:00:00 | 2 | -25.2, 145.6 | 995 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 11:00:00 | 2 | -25.4, 146.2 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 14:00:00 | 2 | -25.5, 146.8 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 17:00:00 | 2 | -25.7, 147.3 | 995 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 20:00:00 | 2 | -25.8, 147.8 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-26 23:00:00 | 2 | -25.8, 148.6 | 997 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 02:00:00 | 2 | -25.7, 149.4 | 996 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 05:00:00 | 2 | -25.7, 150.6 | 992 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 08:00:00 | 2 | -25.7, 151.8 | 992 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 11:00:00 | 2 | -25.7, 152.7 | 992 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 12:00:00 | 4 | -25.7, 153.0 | 992 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 14:00:00 | 1 | -25.7, 153.5 | 988 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 17:00:00 | 1 | -25.6, 153.9 | 984 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 20:00:00 | 1 | -25.5, 154.3 | 980 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-27 23:00:00 | 1 | -25.3, 154.5 | 978 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 02:00:00 | 1 | -25.2, 155.0 | 982 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 05:00:00 | 1 | -25.1, 155.6 | 982 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 08:00:00 | 1 | -25.0, 156.3 | 984 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 11:00:00 | 1 | -25.0, 157.1 | 984 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 14:00:00 | 1 | -25.1, 158.0 | 984 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 17:00:00 | 1 | -25.3, 158.9 | 986 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 20:00:00 | 1 | -25.5, 159.9 | 988 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-28 23:00:00 | 1 | -26.0, 160.9 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 02:00:00 | 1 | -26.6, 161.9 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 05:00:00 | 1 | -27.5, 162.7 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 08:00:00 | 1 | -28.4, 163.5 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 11:00:00 | 1 | -29.5, 164.0 | 991 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 14:00:00 | 1 | -30.7, 164.3 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 17:00:00 | 1 | -31.9, 164.7 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 20:00:00 | 1 | -33.3, 164.7 | 990 hPa | — |
| 1971-12-29 23:00:00 | 1 | -34.8, 164.7 | 990 hPa | — |