NICHOLAS
1985-86 season · AU198586_01U
History
Severe Tropical Cyclone Nicholas developed from a broad area of low pressure linked to a monsoonal trough south of Sumatra, becoming organised enough to be classified as a tropical cyclone in the early hours of 29 November 1985. Prior to this, the system had been tracking southward from its origins on 25 November. It subsequently turned eastward, passing through busy shipping lanes near Christmas Island, though vessels in the area reported no significant winds from the system.
Nicholas remained a compact storm throughout its life but continued to intensify steadily as it moved through the region. By 3 December it had reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 system, with ten-minute sustained winds of approximately 185 km/h and a central pressure of 945 hPa. After reaching this peak, the cyclone turned almost due south and began to gradually weaken. The system did not make landfall at any point during its existence. By 7 December, convective activity associated with Nicholas had begun to diminish markedly, and the cyclone had fully dissipated by that evening. No casualties or significant damage were recorded in connection with the storm, consistent with its track remaining well away from populated coastlines throughout its lifespan.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (47 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-11-26 00:00:00 | 1 | -6.6, 102.2 | 1005 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1985-11-26 06:00:00 | 1 | -6.8, 102.2 | 1003 hPa | 10 km/h |
| 1985-11-26 12:00:00 | 1 | -7.1, 102.1 | 1003 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-26 18:00:00 | 1 | -7.4, 102.0 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-27 00:00:00 | 1 | -7.7, 102.0 | 1002 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-27 06:00:00 | 1 | -8.0, 101.9 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-27 12:00:00 | 1 | -8.3, 101.7 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-27 18:00:00 | 1 | -8.5, 101.3 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-11-28 00:00:00 | 1 | -8.8, 101.0 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1985-11-28 06:00:00 | 1 | -9.3, 100.9 | 996 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1985-11-28 12:00:00 | 1 | -9.7, 101.3 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1985-11-28 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.0, 101.7 | 993 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1985-11-29 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.2, 102.1 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1985-11-29 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.5, 102.7 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1985-11-29 12:00:00 | 1 | -10.6, 103.1 | 991 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1985-11-29 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.7, 103.6 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1985-11-30 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.7, 104.1 | 988 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1985-11-30 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.8, 104.9 | 987 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1985-11-30 12:00:00 | 1 | -10.8, 105.8 | 986 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1985-11-30 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.7, 106.5 | 984 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1985-12-01 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.5, 107.4 | 980 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1985-12-01 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.3, 108.4 | 975 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1985-12-01 12:00:00 | 1 | -10.3, 109.4 | 973 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1985-12-01 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.2, 110.2 | 972 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1985-12-02 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.3, 110.8 | 970 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1985-12-02 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.4, 111.5 | 968 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1985-12-02 12:00:00 | 1 | -10.3, 112.2 | 967 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1985-12-02 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.2, 112.6 | 965 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1985-12-03 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.1, 113.0 | 960 hPa | 36 km/h |
| 1985-12-03 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.0, 113.3 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1985-12-03 12:00:00 | 1 | -9.9, 113.9 | 945 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1985-12-03 18:00:00 | 1 | -10.0, 114.2 | 947 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1985-12-04 00:00:00 | 1 | -10.2, 114.2 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1985-12-04 06:00:00 | 1 | -10.5, 114.3 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1985-12-04 12:00:00 | 1 | -10.8, 114.5 | 958 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1985-12-04 18:00:00 | 1 | -11.2, 114.5 | 958 hPa | 36 km/h |
| 1985-12-05 00:00:00 | 1 | -11.5, 114.7 | 960 hPa | 36 km/h |
| 1985-12-05 06:00:00 | 1 | -11.7, 114.7 | 960 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1985-12-05 12:00:00 | 1 | -11.9, 114.8 | 965 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1985-12-05 18:00:00 | 1 | -12.3, 114.8 | 972 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1985-12-06 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 114.6 | 978 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1985-12-06 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 114.1 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1985-12-06 12:00:00 | 1 | -14.1, 113.7 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1985-12-06 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 114.0 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1985-12-07 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.9, 114.3 | 998 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-12-07 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 114.1 | 998 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1985-12-07 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 113.8 | 1002 hPa | 10 km/h |