WALLY

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Wally was a short-lived but intense system that remained entirely over open water off the north-west coast of Western Australia in late February 1976.

The storm originated from a monsoonal low over the eastern Indian Ocean to the north of the Kimberley on 22 February. Moving west-southwestward across warm seas, the low consolidated quickly and was classified as a tropical cyclone on 23 February, at which point it was situated roughly 350 kilometres north-north-west of Broome. The Perth Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre assigned it the name Wally the same day.

Steered by a mid-level ridge positioned over the Australian continent, Wally held a steady west-southwesterly heading that kept it running roughly parallel to the Pilbara coastline. Deepening rapidly, it reached Category 3 severe tropical cyclone strength on 24 February while well offshore from the North West Cape. At its peak the system had a central pressure near 960 hPa, with maximum sustained winds of about 130–140 km/h and gusts in excess of 185 km/h over the open ocean.

As Wally continued away from the coast into the central Indian Ocean it met stronger vertical wind shear and cooler water. The eyewall broke down and the cyclone fell below tropical cyclone intensity on 26 February, dissipating the following day without ever threatening land.

Because the system stayed well clear of the coastline, no landfall occurred and no coastal community experienced damaging winds. Marine warnings were issued for North West Shelf shipping lanes, prompting vessels to alter course, while offshore oil exploration platforms followed routine heavy-weather procedures. No deaths, injuries or structural damage were reported. Wally was one of several systems in an active 1975–76 Australian region cyclone season.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia