Anika

History

Tropical Cyclone Anika was the first named system of the 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season, a season that officially ran from 1 November 2008 to 30 April 2009 and produced close to average activity. It developed well out over the eastern Indian Ocean, away from the Australian mainland, and remained a marine system throughout its life.

The precursor disturbance was identified on 17 November 2008, when the Bureau of Meteorology's warning centre in Perth and TCWC Jakarta noted that a tropical low, designated 02U, had formed along the monsoon trough roughly 925 kilometres north-east of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Persistent north-westerly steering flow pushed the low towards the south-east, and it organised rapidly over the following day. Early on 19 November the Perth centre, TCWC Jakarta and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center all assessed the system as having reached tropical cyclone strength, and Perth assigned the name Anika.

Anika continued to strengthen as deep convection consolidated around its centre, with satellite-based Dvorak estimates climbing to T3.5. Peak intensity was reached on 20 November, when the cyclone was rated Category 2 on the Australian scale with maximum sustained winds near 95 km/h and a central pressure of about 984 hPa. The storm tracked to the north of the Cocos Islands, and the cyclone warnings issued for the island group were withdrawn later the same day without the territory experiencing damaging conditions.

Weakening began almost immediately after the peak. Anika fell back to Category 1 intensity late on 20 November as it moved over progressively cooler sea surface temperatures, and strengthening vertical wind shear reduced it to a tropical low by 21 November. The remnant low dissipated over open ocean the following day, having caused no reported damage or casualties.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia