RHONDA
1996-97 season · AU199697_13U
History
Severe Tropical Cyclone Rhonda developed from an area of persistent convection near 10°S 80°E in the eastern Indian Ocean during mid-May 1997, forming part of the above-average 1996–97 Australian region cyclone season. The system reached tropical cyclone intensity on 11 May and subsequently intensified to Category 4 status, making it a severe tropical cyclone. As it continued tracking southward, increasing upper-level wind shear caused rapid weakening, and by 17 May the system had degraded and was absorbed into a cut-off low pressure system near the Western Australian coast.
Rhonda's southerly track was notable for a late-season storm, carrying it into cooler temperate waters well south of the typical cyclone belt. The weakening system produced gale-force winds across parts of southwestern Western Australia, along with coastal flooding and beach erosion in the Perth metropolitan area and surrounding coastline as the remnant low interacted with high tides and heavy swell. Offshore oil and gas infrastructure on the North West Shelf was evacuated as a precaution during the cyclone's approach. The storm did not make landfall as a tropical cyclone, and its tropical core had dissipated before the remnants reached the coast. No fatalities or significant structural damage were recorded as a direct result of the cyclone.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (67 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-10 01:00:00 | 1 | -11.0, 84.5 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-10 06:00:00 | 1 | -11.0, 85.5 | 999 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-10 12:00:00 | 1 | -11.0, 86.8 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1997-05-10 13:00:00 | 1 | -11.0, 87.0 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1997-05-10 18:00:00 | 1 | -11.2, 88.3 | 996 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 00:00:00 | 1 | -11.5, 89.8 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 01:00:00 | 1 | -11.5, 90.1 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 06:00:00 | 1 | -11.7, 90.6 | 992 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 10:00:00 | 1 | -11.9, 91.0 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 12:00:00 | 1 | -11.9, 91.1 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 16:00:00 | 1 | -12.0, 91.3 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 18:00:00 | 1 | -12.1, 91.4 | 988 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-11 22:00:00 | 1 | -12.2, 91.5 | 985 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.2, 91.6 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 04:00:00 | 1 | -12.2, 91.7 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 06:00:00 | 1 | -12.3, 91.8 | 981 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 07:00:00 | 1 | -12.3, 91.8 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 10:00:00 | 1 | -12.4, 92.0 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 12:00:00 | 1 | -12.4, 92.1 | 978 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 16:00:00 | 1 | -12.5, 92.3 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 18:00:00 | 1 | -12.6, 92.5 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-12 22:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 92.8 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 92.9 | 973 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 93.1 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 93.2 | 966 hPa | 36 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 93.3 | 965 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.6, 93.8 | 960 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 12:00:00 | 1 | -13.8, 94.2 | 958 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.3, 94.9 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 95.2 | 953 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1997-05-13 22:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 95.9 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 00:00:00 | 1 | -15.4, 96.2 | 946 hPa | 46 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 01:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 96.3 | 945 hPa | 46 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 96.8 | 935 hPa | 49 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 06:00:00 | 1 | -16.2, 97.2 | 938 hPa | 49 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 07:00:00 | 1 | -16.4, 97.4 | 940 hPa | 49 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 10:00:00 | 1 | -17.0, 98.0 | 945 hPa | 46 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 12:00:00 | 1 | -17.3, 98.4 | 946 hPa | 46 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 16:00:00 | 1 | -17.8, 99.2 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 18:00:00 | 1 | -18.1, 99.7 | 951 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1997-05-14 22:00:00 | 1 | -18.7, 100.6 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 00:00:00 | 1 | -19.0, 101.0 | 961 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 01:00:00 | 1 | -19.1, 101.2 | 965 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 04:00:00 | 1 | -19.7, 101.9 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 06:00:00 | 1 | -20.1, 102.4 | 971 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 10:00:00 | 1 | -20.8, 103.4 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 12:00:00 | 1 | -21.2, 103.9 | 976 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 16:00:00 | 1 | -22.0, 104.9 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 18:00:00 | 1 | -22.4, 105.5 | 981 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1997-05-15 22:00:00 | 1 | -23.1, 106.8 | 985 hPa | 23 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 00:00:00 | 1 | -23.4, 107.3 | 988 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 01:00:00 | 1 | -23.6, 107.6 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 04:00:00 | 1 | -24.1, 108.3 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 06:00:00 | 1 | -24.4, 108.8 | 997 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 07:00:00 | 1 | -24.6, 109.0 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 10:00:00 | 1 | -24.7, 109.3 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 12:00:00 | 1 | -24.8, 109.5 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 13:00:00 | 1 | -24.8, 109.6 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 16:00:00 | 1 | -24.8, 109.8 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 18:00:00 | 1 | -24.8, 110.0 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 19:00:00 | 1 | -24.8, 110.1 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-16 22:00:00 | 1 | -25.1, 110.5 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-17 00:00:00 | 1 | -25.4, 110.7 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-17 01:00:00 | 1 | -25.6, 110.8 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-17 04:00:00 | 1 | -26.0, 111.3 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-17 06:00:00 | 1 | -26.4, 111.6 | 1001 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1997-05-17 10:00:00 | 1 | -27.3, 112.2 | 1005 hPa | 10 km/h |