2005 Australian Basin Tropical Cyclones (105°E -165°E)

Tropical Cyclone Cyclogenesis Date Cyclolysis Date Saffir-Simpson Category Maximum 6-hr Sustained Wind (kt) Maximum 6-hr Wind Gust (kt) Estimated Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE*) Index (kt2) Landfall Information (date, location and sustained winds)
07S 12/31/04 1/1/05 TS 35 N/A 0.6125 x 104
Raymond 1/1/05 1/3/05 TS 50 65 0.9812 x 104 1/3/05 - Western Australia (45 kt)
10S 1/15/05 1/17/05 TS 35 45 0.3675 x 104
Harvey 2/6/05 2/7/05 TS 50 65 1.2056 x 104 2/7/05 - Northern Territory (50 kt)
17S 2/7/05 2/8/05 TS 35 N/A 0.6125 x 104
Vivienne 2/7/05 2/8/05 TS 35 45 0.6125 x 104
Willy 3/9/04 3/14/05 Cat 2 90 110 8.6281 x 104
Ingrid 3/6/05 3/17/05 Cat 5 135 165 44.8881 x 104 3/10/05 - Queensland (100 kt)
3/13/05 - Northern Territory (135 kt)
3/15/05 - Western Australia (130 kt)

Preliminary 2005 Australian Basin ACE Index = 57.9081 x 104 kt2

*The Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Index is calculated by summing the squares of the estimated 6-hourly maximum sustained wind speed in knots (Vmax2) for all periods in which the tropical cyclone is a tropical storm or greater intensity. For a more complete description of the ACE Index see Bell et al. (2000), Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (81) S1-S50.


The Saffir-Simpson Scale for Tropical Cyclones

Category Miles Per Hour (mph) Knots (kt) Kilometers Per Hour (km hr-1)
Tropical Storm (TS)
 39-73 34-63 63-118
Cat 1
 74-95 64-82 119-153
Cat 2
 96-110 83-95 154-177
Cat 3
 111-130 96-113 178-209
Cat 4
 131-155 114-135 210-249
Cat 5
 156 or greater 136 or greater 250 or greater