FIFI

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Fifi developed from a tropical low within the monsoon trough on 16 April 1991, forming near Christmas Island at approximately 11°S 103°E. The system tracked steadily southward, running parallel to the Western Australian coastline, and absorbed the remnants of the decaying Severe Tropical Cyclone Marian during its passage. Fifi reached a peak intensity of Category 2 on the Australian scale, with 10-minute sustained winds of 110 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 975 hPa. The cyclone transitioned into a post-tropical system on 20–21 April 1991 without making a direct landfall.

Despite remaining offshore, Fifi caused widespread destruction and loss of life. Its most devastating impact was the loss of the MV Mineral Diamond, a 141,000-tonne bulk ore carrier travelling from Western Australia to Japan. The vessel encountered violent seas and extreme winds generated by the cyclone on 17 April, abruptly lost radio contact, and disappeared. All 27 crew members perished, making it one of the worst maritime disasters in the region's modern history. On land, Fifi's circulation channelled hot, dry winds onto the Western Australian coast, sparking severe bushfires between Jurien Bay and Bremer Bay that killed two people. The combination of destructive winds, falling trees, and fire damage to transmission infrastructure left more than 100,000 homes without power across southwestern Western Australia.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia