BOBBY

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Bobby developed from a tropical low embedded in a monsoon trough north of the Northern Territory coast on 19 February 1995, becoming the fourth named storm of the 1994–95 Australian region cyclone season. The system tracked south-southwestward under low wind shear, gradually organising before being named Bobby by the Bureau of Meteorology on 22 February, approximately 500 km north of Port Hedland. The cyclone intensified rapidly as it approached the Western Australian coast, reaching its peak intensity on 24 February with a central pressure of 925 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h, equivalent to a Category 4 system on the Australian scale. Bobby made landfall near Onslow on 25 February at a weakened but still significant intensity of 952 hPa before tracking southward and eventually dissipating over southwestern Australia.

The storm caused widespread damage across Western Australia. Onslow bore the worst of the impact, with 20 homes damaged or unroofed, along with power outages, downed fences, and broken windows. Flooding along the Eyre Highway stranded around 1,000 vehicles for over a week, and rainfall exceeding 400 mm broke numerous February records in the Goldfields-Esperance region. Mining and drilling operations across southwestern Australia were severely disrupted, with industry losses estimated at over $50 million AUD. Eight people died, most aboard two vessels — the Lady Pam and Harmony — lost at sea. Total damage was estimated at $11 million AUD.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia