The 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below-average tropical cyclone season. The season began with an early start, with the formation of the first tropical cyclone on 29 July, which was only recognized as a tropical cyclone during post-season analysis. This was the second time that a tropical cyclone had formed during July. The other one was Cyclone Lindsay in the 1996–1997 season. The next tropical cyclone that formed was Cyclone Guba, which formed on 13 November with TCWC Port Moresby assigning the name Guba on 14 November, which was the first named storm within TCWC Port Moresby's area of responsibility since Cyclone Epi in June 2003. Guba was also the first cyclone to occur in the Queensland region in November since 1977.
Tropical Cyclone Lee also formed on 13 November and was named by TCWC Perth on 14 November, with the system moving into RSMC Réunion's area of responsibility and being renamed Ariel. The next Cyclone to form within the Australian region was Melanie, which formed on 27 December and was named on the 28th by TCWC Perth. Melanie was the first storm of the season to require cyclone watches, and warnings were issued for the Pilbara coast, but it had weakened into a low-pressure area before it made landfall.
Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to form in 2008, in the Southern Hemisphere, forming in TCWC Darwin's area of responsibility. Helen marked the first time that Darwin had experienced a tropical cyclone since Cyclone Gretel in the 1984–85 season. Cyclone Nicholas made landfall north of Carnarvon on 20 February as a category one cyclone. Cyclone Ophelia actually formed in TCWC Darwin's area of responsibility, but had moved into TCWC Perth's area when it was named. Tropical Cyclone Pancho formed on 23 March to the south of Christmas Island, and was named by TCWC Perth on 25 March; the system eventually reached category 4 status, with winds of .
In April 2008, Tropical Cyclones Rosie and Durga were the first tropical depressions to be monitored within TCWC Jakarta's area of responsibility and Durga was also the first storm to reach tropical cyclone status and named whilst being monitored by TCWC Jakarta. Durga was also the last storm of the season, which officially ended on 30 April.
Seasonal summary
Systems
Tropical Cyclone 01U
On 29 July, an area of low pressure, close to the edge of RSMC La Reunion's Area of responsibility, was designated as Tropical Disturbance 01R. However, this number was withdrawn in RSMC La Reunion's post–storm analysis. The JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the developing system on 29 July, and initiated warnings on the tropical cyclone late that day, designating it as Tropical Cyclone 01S.http://listserv.uiuc.edu/wa.cgi?A2=ind0707e&L=wx-tropl&T=0&P=12004 However, by this time, the cyclone had crossed 90E and entered TCWC Perth's Area of Responsibility, which designated it as a Tropical Low and issued shipping warnings on the Tropical Low. Early on 30 July, the tropical cyclone began to dissipate, so the JTWC issued their final advisory on the system on that day.JTWC Advisory 2 and the Bureau of Meteorology issued its last warning the next day.
During post–storm analysis, The Bureau of Meteorology upgraded the tropical low to a tropical cyclone in its post-storm analysis, with maximum 10-min sustained winds of , based on QuikSCAT observations. The cyclone was estimated to have reached tropical cyclone intensity from 29 to 30 July.
The tropical cyclone is the second on record to exist in the Western Australian region in July, the first being Cyclone Lindsay in 1996.
Tropical Cyclone Lee–Ariel
On 13 November, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Perth began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low that was located within the area of responsibility of TCWC Jakarta.Gale Warning for the Western Area: Tropical Low. Bureau of Meteorology (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. On 14 November, TCWC Perth upgraded the tropical low to tropical cyclone status and assigned it the name Lee, while the cyclone was still in TCWC Jakarta's area of responsibility.Storm Force Wind Warning for the Western Area: Tropical Cyclone Lee. Bureau of Meteorology 14 November 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2007. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on Tropical Cyclone Lee,Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (14 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. and then designated the storm as Tropical Cyclone 03S shortly after.. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (14 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. The TCWC in Perth upgraded Lee to category 2 on 15 November. Later that day, TCWC Perth issued its final advisory on Lee as it crossed west of 90°E,Storm Force Wind Warning for the Western Area: Tropical Cyclone Lee. Bureau of Meteorology (15 November 2007). Retrieved 19 November 2007. and the system was renamed Severe Tropical Storm Ariel by the Sub-Regional Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre in Mauritius.Warning Number: 001/02 (South-West Indian Ocean). Météo-France (15 November 2007). Retrieved 19 November 2007.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Guba
The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Brisbane began issuing warnings on a developing tropical low which was located near the southern Papua New Guinea mainland on 13 November 2007,. Bureau of Meteorology (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the storm.Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. Later that day, the JTWC issued its first advisory, designating the low as Tropical Cyclone 02P.Tropical Cyclone 02P Warning NR 001. JTWC (13 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. TCWC Brisbane initiated tropical cyclone advisories on the tropical low early on 14 November. Shortly after, TCWC Brisbane upgraded the system to Tropical Cyclone Guba, which was a name assigned by the TCWC in Port Moresby.. Bureau of Meteorology (14 November 2007). Retrieved 15 November 2007. Guba drifted erratically off the Queensland coast for the next two days, and intensified on 16 November, becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Guba was a small, but intense system, forming a well-defined eye. Guba began weakening on 17 November as it started to accelerate to the west towards the Queensland coast. However, it later turned northwards, avoiding the Australian mainland, then north-east while it continued to weaken. TCWC Brisbane downgraded Guba below tropical cyclone strength, and issued its last advisory early on 20 November.
Flooding in Papua New Guinea led to at least 150 deaths."At least 150 dead in PNG floods", BBC, 21 November 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2007. In the Oro Province, about 2,000 people were evacuated as a result of the flooding. Roads, bridges and 40 houses were washed away, as tides in the area reached two metres high."At least 71 dead in PNG floods say officials", Agence France-Presse, 19 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007. The provincial capital, Popondetta, had its water supply shut down, and Papua New Guinea's national airline, Air Niugini, suspended flights to Popondetta's main airport. The Rabaraba district in Milne Bay Province was also hit by flooding, with 30 houses and food gardens washed away, and forcing the evacuation of about 100 people. The government in Papua New Guinea reported that an estimated 145,000 people were affected from the flooding in Oro Province.Most recent disaster declaration: Papua New Guinea cyclone. United States Agency for International Development. ReliefWeb. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Six days of torrential rain led to a damage total of 200 million kina (US$71.4 million). Guba was the first tropical cyclone to be assigned a name from Port Moresby's name lists since Tropical Cyclone Epi in 2003. It is the first cyclone to occur in the Queensland region in the month of November since 1977."Cyclone Guba stews under southery drift", Brisbane Times, 15 November 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
Tropical Low 04U (Dama)
On 18 December, a Tropical Depression in the south-west Indian Ocean was named Moderate Tropical Storm Dama, monitored by Météo-France. The system then moved south-east, entering the area of responsibility of Perth's Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, east of 90°E. The storm however, was not at Tropical Cyclone strength when it crossed the area, but was still a tropical depression, in which the Perth TCWC began issuing shipping warnings.
Tropical Cyclone Melanie
On 27 December, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Perth identified a Tropical Low near 11.2°S and 117.2°E, and began issuing shipping warnings for the developing system. Early on 28 December, the TCWC in Perth upgraded the tropical low to a tropical cyclone and named it Melanie. The cyclone moved southwards, then turned to the south-west on 29 December and strengthened to a Category 2 (Australian scale). Cyclone watches and warnings were issued for the Pilbara coast. On 30 December Melanie began to weaken and become less organised. Melanie continued to weaken and the system was downgraded to Category 1 status on 31 December. Continued weakening took place thereafter and it weakened below cyclone status early on 2 January, when the final advisory was issued.
Tropical Cyclone Helen
In late December a tropical low formed over the Top End which was slow moving in the eastern Top End on 29 December, which began moving west during 1 January at the base of the Top End. By the evening of 2 January the Tropical low moved into the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. On 3 January at 11am ACST (01:30 UTC) the TCWC in Darwin, Australia, located near the edge of their Area of Responsibility, with TCWC Perth, declared a Tropical Cyclone Warning for the coastal areas from Mitchell Plateau in Western Australia to the Daly River Mouth in Northern Territory with a Tropical Cyclone Watch declared for coastal areas from the Daly River Mouth to Goulburn Island which also included Darwin. Later that day a TCFA was issued by the JTWC who then upgraded the low to a Tropical Cyclone designating the cyclone 10S later that day.WebCite query result On 4 January at 8am ACST (2230 UTC), TCWC Darwin upgraded the Tropical Cyclone Warning to include Darwin, by 11am ACST (0103 UTC) the TCWC Darwin upgraded the Tropical low to Tropical Cyclone Helen which was located 380 km to the west/south west of Darwin moving towards the northeast. During the afternoon of 4 January Tropical Cyclone Helen was steadily moving towards the east to the Daly River Mouth region. At approximately 7pm ACST (09:30 UTC) TCWC Darwin upgraded the intensity to 50 knots (Category 2), making landfall at Channel Point approximately 130 km southwest of Darwin at 10pm ACST (12:30 UTC), It soon started to weaken due to interaction with land and it weakened into a tropical low on 5 January as it had become less organised. On 6 January the JTWC issued its final warning on Tropical Cyclone Helen,WebCite query result and then later that day TCWC Darwin followed suit and issued its final advisory on Tropical Low Ex-Helen as it approached TCWC Brisbane's Area of Responsibility.
The strongest wind gust recorded was at Charles Point Lighthouse with 120 kilometres an hour recorded during the Tropical Cyclone with Darwin Airport recording 102 kilometres an hour around 2am ACST making it the first time since April 1985 for Darwin to experience Category 1 or more since Cyclone Gretel passed Darwin on 12 April 1985. Damages from the storm amounted to an estimated A$21.5 million (US$15 million).
Tropical Low 07U