JENNY
1973-74 season · AU197374_18U
History
Tropical Cyclone Jenny was a late-season system that developed off the Western Australian coast in the closing days of March 1974. The storm originated from a monsoonal low that formed off the West Kimberley coast on 23 March. With warm sea surface temperatures beneath it and a ridge to its southeast steering it on a southwesterly course, the low organised quickly and was classified as a Category 1 tropical cyclone the following day, when it lay roughly 300 km north-northwest of Broome. It was named Jenny by the Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Perth on 24 March.
Jenny then tracked southwestward, running roughly parallel to the Pilbara coastline but remaining well out to sea. Favourable conditions and high ocean heat content allowed steady deepening, and on 26 March the system reached Category 3 severe tropical cyclone strength. Peak intensity occurred while Jenny was positioned offshore from North West Cape, with a minimum central pressure near 960 hPa and maximum sustained winds of about 130–140 km/h, with gusts over open water exceeding 180 km/h.
After passing North West Cape the cyclone continued west-southwestward into the central Indian Ocean, where increasing vertical wind shear and progressively cooler waters eroded its structure. Jenny fell below tropical cyclone intensity on 30 March and dissipated the following day, on 31 March.
Because Jenny stayed several hundred kilometres offshore throughout its life, the Western Australian mainland escaped any significant effects — no gale-force winds, coastal damage or flooding were recorded on land, and there were no casualties or injuries. The main operational concern was maritime: storm warnings were issued for the North West Shelf shipping corridor, and offshore support vessels and oil exploration rigs took routine precautions, with no structural damage reported.
Jenny was one of the final systems of the exceptionally busy 1973–74 Australian region season, which ranked among the most active on record.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (93 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-03-17 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 137.9 | — | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 03:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 137.6 | — | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 06:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 137.2 | 995 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 08:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 137.0 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 09:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 136.9 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 10:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 136.8 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 12:00:00 | 3 | -12.7, 136.6 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-17 23:30:00 | 2 | -12.8, 135.4 | — | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-19 00:00:00 | 2 | -12.9, 132.0 | — | 8 km/h |
| 1974-03-19 21:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 129.4 | — | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 129.0 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 03:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 128.9 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 128.8 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 09:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 128.7 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 12:00:00 | 1 | -13.1, 128.5 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 15:00:00 | 1 | -13.1, 128.7 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 18:00:00 | 1 | -13.1, 128.3 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-20 21:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 128.2 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 128.0 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 03:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 127.9 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 06:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 127.8 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 09:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 127.7 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 12:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 127.6 | 995 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 15:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 127.4 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 18:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 127.3 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-21 21:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 127.2 | 995 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 127.0 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 03:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 126.9 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 06:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 126.8 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 09:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 126.7 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 12:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 126.6 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 15:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 126.4 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 18:00:00 | 1 | -12.7, 126.3 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-22 21:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 126.2 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-23 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 126.0 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-23 13:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 124.8 | 1004 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 01:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 123.7 | 1007 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 123.0 | 1007 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 07:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 122.1 | 1006 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 121.2 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 13:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 120.3 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 16:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 119.4 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 19:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 118.4 | 1004 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-24 22:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 117.4 | 1004 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 01:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 116.6 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 115.7 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 114.9 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.6, 114.3 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 13:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 113.6 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 112.9 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 112.2 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-25 22:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 111.5 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 01:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 110.5 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 110.1 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 109.6 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 10:00:00 | 1 | -16.1, 109.1 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 13:00:00 | 1 | -16.3, 108.5 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 16:00:00 | 1 | -16.4, 108.1 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 19:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 107.5 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-26 22:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 106.9 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 01:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 106.4 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 04:00:00 | 1 | -17.1, 106.3 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 07:00:00 | 1 | -17.4, 106.1 | 997 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 10:00:00 | 1 | -17.6, 106.0 | 996 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 13:00:00 | 1 | -17.8, 106.0 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 16:00:00 | 1 | -18.1, 106.0 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 19:00:00 | 1 | -18.4, 106.0 | 990 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1974-03-27 22:00:00 | 1 | -18.6, 106.1 | 989 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 01:00:00 | 1 | -18.7, 106.2 | 988 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 04:00:00 | 1 | -19.0, 106.3 | 991 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 07:00:00 | 1 | -19.3, 106.4 | 991 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 10:00:00 | 1 | -19.5, 106.5 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 13:00:00 | 1 | -19.6, 106.6 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 16:00:00 | 1 | -19.9, 106.7 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 19:00:00 | 1 | -20.1, 106.9 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-28 20:00:00 | 1 | -20.3, 107.0 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 01:00:00 | 1 | -20.5, 107.3 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 04:00:00 | 1 | -20.6, 107.4 | 1004 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 07:00:00 | 1 | -20.7, 107.5 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 10:00:00 | 1 | -20.8, 107.6 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 13:00:00 | 1 | -20.9, 107.6 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 16:00:00 | 1 | -21.0, 107.8 | 1006 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 19:00:00 | 1 | -21.1, 107.9 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-29 22:00:00 | 1 | -21.3, 108.0 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 01:00:00 | 1 | -21.4, 108.1 | 1006 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 04:00:00 | 1 | -21.6, 108.2 | 1006 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 07:00:00 | 1 | -21.7, 108.3 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 10:00:00 | 1 | -21.8, 108.4 | 1006 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 13:00:00 | 1 | -22.0, 108.5 | 1005 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 16:00:00 | 1 | -22.1, 108.6 | 1009 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 19:00:00 | 1 | -22.3, 108.8 | 1009 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1974-03-30 22:00:00 | 1 | -22.5, 109.0 | 1010 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1974-03-31 01:00:00 | 1 | -22.6, 109.1 | 1010 hPa | 10 km/h |