WINIFRED

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winifred developed from a tropical low first identified about 720 km north of Cairns on 27 January 1986. The disturbance initially drifted northwest while gradually becoming better organised, then turned southward on the morning of 29 January as it slowly strengthened. Satellite imagery on 30 January confirmed the low had reached tropical cyclone intensity with a central pressure of 995 hPa, and the Bureau of Meteorology assigned the name Winifred at 1400 UTC that day.

Winifred meandered southward before beginning to curve southeast late on 30 January, then unexpectedly swung southwest toward the Queensland coast during the evening of 31 January while steadily deepening. Tracking the system proved difficult, as a persistent shield of high-level cirrus obscured the eye and rainbands, degrading satellite fixes. The cyclone maintained a broad eye roughly 51 km across offshore, which contracted to about 41 km as it approached land.

Peak intensity was reached at landfall near Silkwood at 0445 UTC on 1 February, with a minimum central pressure of 957 hPa and 10-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h — a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Winifred weakened as it moved inland but survived as a tropical depression for a further five days, dissipating on 5 February.

Cyclone watches and warnings were issued from 29 January along a lengthy stretch of the Queensland coast, and evacuations took place at Innisfail, Ingham, Babinda, Mourilyan and along the Tully, Burdekin and Herbert rivers. Damage between Cairns and Ingham was extensive: around 1,000 homes were wrecked and hundreds more damaged, with roughly 500 badly damaged houses at Babinda and 200 destroyed at Innisfail. Fallen trees and debris blocked roads, power and telephone services failed, rail services were disrupted by flooded track, and boil-water advisories were issued after treatment plants lost power. Sugarcane and banana crops were devastated, contributing $86.4 million of an estimated $130 million (1986 AUD) total damage bill. Three people died. The name Winifred was subsequently retired, and the storm was the most significant to strike the region in 14 years.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia