RHONDA

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Rhonda developed from a tropical low north of the Pilbara coast on 17 February 1986, during the 1985–86 Australian region cyclone season. Steered by an upper-level trough, the system tracked south-southwesterly then southerly, running roughly parallel to the Western Australian coastline rather than making landfall at peak strength. Rhonda reached its maximum intensity on 20 February 1986 while positioned over open waters northwest of North West Cape, achieving Category 3 status on the Australian scale with a minimum central pressure of 968 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 120 km/h. Encounter with cooler southern ocean waters and increased wind shear caused the system to rapidly deteriorate, and it fell below tropical cyclone intensity on 21 February 1986. As the weakening system continued southward, it eventually crossed the coast near Perth as a decaying tropical low, delivering heavy and prolonged rainfall to the Perth metropolitan area. The flooding rainfall associated with Rhonda's remnants was the storm's most significant impact, with the Perth region receiving notably high totals. The system is regarded by the Bureau of Meteorology as unusual for maintaining its strength entirely offshore before producing significant flood-inducing precipitation over a major urban centre during its decay phase.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia