ILONA

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilona developed from a monsoon trough that produced a tropical low over the Timor Sea, west of Darwin, on 12 December 1988. The system tracked southwest along the Kimberley coast before turning west, reaching tropical cyclone intensity near Adele Island on 13 December and attaining severe tropical cyclone status by 15 December. Ilona peaked around 17 December with ten-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h and a central pressure of 960 hPa, making it a low-end severe tropical cyclone. After turning southward, the cyclone made landfall near Mardie Station on the Pilbara coast at approximately 16:00 UTC on 17 December, with a brief eye passage also observed at Fortescue Roadhouse. The system rapidly weakened over land and fully dissipated on 19 December near the Western Australia–South Australia border.

Ilona struck the Pilbara region as a severe tropical cyclone, bringing gusts up to 174 km/h at Mardie Station. Roebourne, Wickham, Dampier, Karratha, Pannawonica, and Tom Price all sustained damage, with Karratha reportedly the hardest hit. Roofs were torn from homes, trees uprooted, and power lines downed, leaving towns without electricity for several days. Twelve boats sank or were washed ashore at Dampier, and rainfall exceeding 200 mm over two days broke December records across much of Pilbara. Total damage reached A$1 million, no casualties were recorded, and the name Ilona was subsequently retired.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia