SANDY

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sandy developed on 19 March 1985 in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The system intensified rapidly, reaching a peak of Category 4 on the Australian scale before weakening as it approached land. Sandy made landfall near the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands on 24 March as a Category 2 cyclone. Over the following days, the system tracked westward across the Top End and into the Indian Ocean, where it finally dissipated on 3 April.

The cyclone produced significant impacts along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast. Storm surges of between 3 and 3.5 metres were recorded at Centre Island, and swells reaching 12 metres caused severe damage to two trawlers. Flooding was extensive across the southern gulf coastal areas, and rainfall was considerable, with 860 millimetres recorded on the islands over a four-day period. Sandy drew comparisons to Cyclone Kathy, though it did not match that storm's intensity. The combination of powerful storm surge, heavy rainfall, and destructive seas made Sandy a notably damaging event for the region, particularly for maritime interests operating in the gulf at the time.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia