KELVIN
1990-91 season · AU199091_05U
History
Tropical Cyclone Kelvin began as a tropical low in the north-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria on 24 February 1991. The system moved quickly eastward, passing across the northern part of Cape York Peninsula and emerging over the Coral Sea early on 25 February.
Once clear of land and over the warm open water of the Coral Sea, the low organised rapidly. The Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre named it Kelvin on 25 February, and intensification continued through that day as the system tracked toward Willis Island. Late on 25 February Kelvin passed directly over or very close to the island, reaching its peak as a Category 2 cyclone on the Australian scale. Maximum 10-minute sustained winds were estimated at 120 km/h (65 knots), with a minimum central pressure of around 980 hPa, and a peak gust of 160 km/h was measured at the Willis Island station.
After peaking, the steering flow across the eastern Coral Sea broke down, and Kelvin drifted on a slow, erratic path over open water for close to a week. Dry air being drawn into the circulation, together with increasing upper-level wind shear, steadily eroded the system. Kelvin fell below cyclone strength on 5 March, its remnant low subsequently dissipating over the central South Pacific. At no stage after emerging into the Coral Sea did the cyclone threaten the Queensland mainland.
Impacts were confined almost entirely to Willis Island, where the small meteorological outpost took a direct hit from the cyclone's core. Damage was reported to the station's structures and to island vegetation, but the staff were unharmed. On the mainland, effects were minor: the precursor low delivered monsoonal rain and gusty squalls to northern Cape York Peninsula during its brief transit, but the strongest winds remained offshore. No deaths, injuries or significant structural damage were recorded on the Australian mainland.
Kelvin was one of ten cyclones in a slightly below-average 1990–91 Australian region season, and among the least damaging of them.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (61 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-02-24 06:00:00 | 1 | -11.7, 141.9 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-24 08:00:00 | 1 | -11.6, 142.0 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-24 10:00:00 | 1 | -11.8, 143.4 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-24 12:00:00 | 1 | -12.4, 143.8 | 999 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-24 16:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 144.7 | 1000 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-24 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.1, 146.9 | 1000 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.3, 149.5 | 1000 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 149.0 | 993 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 149.4 | 993 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 149.7 | 993 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 10:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 150.5 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 12:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 150.6 | 985 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 13:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 150.7 | 985 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 17:00:00 | 1 | -16.3, 150.8 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 18:00:00 | 1 | -16.5, 150.8 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 20:00:00 | 1 | -16.8, 150.9 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-25 23:00:00 | 1 | -16.8, 151.3 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 00:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 151.3 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 05:00:00 | 1 | -17.6, 151.6 | 985 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 06:00:00 | 1 | -17.6, 151.5 | 984 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 08:00:00 | 1 | -17.6, 151.3 | 982 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 12:00:00 | 1 | -16.8, 150.8 | 984 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 14:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 150.8 | 982 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 17:00:00 | 1 | -16.6, 150.6 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 18:00:00 | 1 | -16.5, 150.4 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-26 20:00:00 | 1 | -16.2, 149.7 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 00:00:00 | 1 | -16.2, 150.1 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 06:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 150.5 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 150.4 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 14:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 150.3 | 983 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 150.7 | 983 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-27 20:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 150.6 | 983 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-28 00:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 150.7 | 983 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-28 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 149.8 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-28 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 149.8 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-02-28 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 149.8 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-03-01 00:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 150.2 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-03-01 02:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 150.0 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-03-01 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 149.7 | 987 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-01 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 149.3 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-01 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 149.6 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-02 00:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 150.1 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-02 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 150.1 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-02 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 150.2 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-02 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 150.2 | 994 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-02 20:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 150.4 | 994 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 150.4 | 993 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 02:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 150.2 | 990 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 06:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 150.3 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 08:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 150.3 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 12:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 150.4 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-03 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 150.4 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-04 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.2, 150.2 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-04 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 150.0 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-04 12:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 149.9 | 983 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1991-03-04 18:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 149.9 | 988 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-05 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 149.8 | 990 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-05 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 149.5 | 992 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1991-03-05 12:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 149.8 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-05 18:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 150.0 | 996 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1991-03-06 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 150.3 | 998 hPa | 13 km/h |