Maximum ten-minute sustained winds reached 95 km/h (60 mph) and the storm's barometric pressure decreased to 975 mbar (hPa; 28.79 inHg). One person drowned in the Victoria River after his car was swept away in a flood. A low that formed over the Top End and moved over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and intensified to cyclone intensity on 4 January and recurved towards the Northern Territory coast. [2], Starting in late December, widespread rains produced by the precursor to Helen prompted the issuance of flood warnings throughout the Top End region. [13] Losses caused by the storm was placed at A$1.3 million (US$1.1 million). Le cyclone tropical intense HELLEN s'apprête à passer au plus près de la région nord-ouest de Madagascar. [2], Around 10:00 pm local time on 4 January, the centre of Tropical Cyclone Helen made landfall near Channel Point. Although not an intense system, Helen is notable for being the first cyclone to produce gales in Darwin since Tropical Cyclone Gretel in April 1985. Tropical Cyclone 04B has strengthened and been renamed "Helen" as it slowly nears landfall in southeastern India. HELLEN became a very powerful tropical cyclone with peak sustained winds of 130kts (about 150 mph) on March 30, 2014. Tropical Cyclone Hellen formed in the Mozambique Channel northwest of Madagascar on March 28, 2014. The system is expected to take an … [8] Following the issuance of a cyclone warning in Darwin, local shelters were opened to the public. Widespread 100-200 mm rainfall totals over the weekend of 4-6 January caused some rivers across the western Top End to rise. Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to bring gale-force winds to Darwin, Australia since 1985. A TROPICAL low moving off the West Australian and Northern Territory coasts has been named Cyclone Helen. Le pire est à craindre car s'est un système extrêmement puissant et dangereux. Generally, stronger central pressures correspond to stronger winds in tropical cyclones (including hurricanes and typhoons). [6], In light of Helen's approach in the Top End region, the Compass Resources mining company suspended construction of a new mine in Batchelor. In the days following the storm's passage, the Adelaide and Katherine rivers continued to rise, of which the former exceeded minor flood levels. Tropical Cyclone Hellen (Southwest Indian Ocean) radically intensified over the weekend and reached wind speeds of up to 232 km/h (144 mph) and wind gusts up to 278 km/h (172 mph). 2020 Season; 2019 Season; 2018 Season; 2017 Season; 2016 Season; 2015 Season; 2014 Season; 2013 Season; 2012 Season; 2011 Season; ... Multiplatform Tropical Cyclone MSLP and Maximum Winds. NASA and the Japan Aerospace … Hellen developed during the week of March 23 in the Mozambique Channel, the body of water that lies between the island nation of Madagascar and Mozambique on … In Darwin, roughly 15,000 people were without power due to the storm, more than 100 of which remained so four days after the storm. Tropical cyclone HELLEN formed in the Mozambique channel northwest of Madagascar on March 28, 2014. [nb 1][14], The day after Helen passed through, cleanup efforts began as power crews had to remove downed trees before fixing power lines. Hellen's eye came ashore in northwestern Madagascar on March 31 with winds predicted to be about 95 knots/109 mph/176 kph. HELEN's eye came ashore in northwestern Madagascar On March 31, 2014 with winds predicted to be about 95kts (~109 mph). Following this, a strong Madden–Julian oscillation phase took shape, leading to the development of Tropical Cyclone Melanie off the coast of Western Australia and an area of low pressure over the Top End by 28 December. The maximum recorded wind gust was 120 km/h at Charles Point Lighthouse, while Darwin experienced a maximum wind gust of … The storm, which hit Fiji on Thursday with heavy rain and strong winds, is now heading for the Pacific island of Tonga. Hellen became a very powerful tropical cyclone with peak sustained winds of 130 knots/about 150 mph/241 kph on March 30, 2014. Satellite images and tracking maps of Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Hellen 2014, March 27 - … Our city is the “pin mark” in the NW corner of the picture. On 30 March, Hellen was a severe tropical cyclone situated over the Mozambique Channel, northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar. According to local officials, flooding was the greatest concern from the storm rather than wind damage. Situated over land, the system initially embedded within a disorganised trough and to intensify as it slowly tracked eastward. As it moved ashore, the storm developed an eye; however, this feature began breaking apart once overland and the eyewall merged into the system's feeder bands. Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to bring gale-force winds to Darwin, Australia since 1985. It continued to weaken as it crossed a section of … [1] Near where the storm made landfall, wind gusts up to 120 km/h (75 mph) were recorded; Darwin recorded a maximum wind gust of 102 km/h (63 mph) as Helen moved by the city. For more details see the TC Helen Report (pdf), This page was created at 22:25 on Friday 25 December 2020 (UTC), © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) | CRICOS Provider 02015K | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility. With the power company in charge of clearing downed trees, they stated that their crews would only be dealing with cases involved power lines. Current Active Cyclones; Archive. The fourth named storm of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, Helen developed out of a weak area of low pressure in late December over the Top End region of Australia. Tropical Cyclone Hellen (21S) is currently approaching the coast of Mozambique as a Tropical Disturbance, having affected both the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte and the northwestern parts of Madagascar. Similarly, the Waterhouse River at the community of Beswick to the east of Katherine was at and near major flood level for most of Sunday and into Monday. Hellen made landfall over north-west Madagascar on 31 Mar as a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone. Also, a name is scrapped from the list if it is associated with a prominent personality to avoid mockery. The Adelaide River at Adelaide River Township reached major flood level during the afternoon of Saturday 5 January. Roughly 12 hours after landfall, Helen weakened to a tropical low before moving over the Gulf of Carpentaria late on 5 January. [5] At the Darwin International Airport, all incoming and outgoing flights through Jetstar Airways were cancelled while Tiger Airways rescheduled their flights and no changes were made by Qantas. Generally tracking westward, the system eventually intensified into a tropical cyclone and was given the name Helen on 2 January. The following day, the interaction between the two systems allowed the low to significantly deepen, attaining a barometric pressure of 993 mbar (hPa; 29.32 inHg). There were a few houses that suffered damage from trees falling on them. Helen developed into a tropical depression on Monday night and no tropical cyclone wind signal was raised by PAGASA as it headed near the PAR already. As early as autumn 2007, long-range forecast models indicated that a La Niña would develop by December of that year. Approximately 1,500 trees were downed in the city, falling on roads, homes and power lines. Helen, the Philippines' 8th tropical cyclone for 2020, did not make landfall in any part of the country. [2] As organisation improved, a mid-level subtropical ridge over Western Australia pushed the system westward, away from the Kimberley coast. No tropical cyclone wind signals were raised. [12] These rains affected two additional major rivers in the area: the Adelaide and Katherine rivers. Intensification continued up until landfall, by which time Helen had attained Category 2 status on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. The system was last noted over the Cape York Peninsula on 7 January. Damage was more widespread in Darwin where roughly 15,000 homes, 60% of the city's residences, were left without power. From late December through 6 January, Helen and its precursor low produced significant rainfall over the Northern Territory, generally amounting between 100 and 200 mm (3.9 and 7.9 in). Due to an increase in forward motion, the system was unable to regenerate sufficient convection to be reclassified a tropical cyclone before making a second landfall along the Cape York Peninsula. Only two structures sustained direct wind damage while several others were struck by downed trees. Roughly 10-15% of trees in open areas were snapped or uprooted by high winds. [4] Mining at the Ranger Uranium Mine maintained by Energy Resources of Australia was also suspended until the storm passed. Tides along the west coast of the Top End were neap on the evening that TC Helen made landfall, with tide levels remaining several metres below Highest Astronomical Tide level. Tropical Cyclone Hellen over the Mozambique Channel, northwest of Madagascar, as captured by the AVHRR instrument onboard EUMETSAT's Metop-B satellite (06:10 UTC 30/03/14). By 30 December, it separated itself from the trough and travelled towards the west. In some cases, waves over topped sand dunes but no damage took place. [16] Two days after the storm, 500 homes remained without electricity and frustrated residents were further angered after discovering that the Power and Water agency was in control of tree removal and not emergency services. [1] In the harbour, seven vessels washed ashore, each sustaining minor damage. On 4 January, a car with three people was swept away by the river; two of the passengers managed to escape and swim to shore, but the third person remained trapped. [nb 1][18] Due to the damage wrought by Helen, its name was retired following its usage. The fourth named storm of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, Helen developed out of a weak area of low pressure in late December over the Top End region of Australia. Late on 4 January, the storm made landfall near Channel Point with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph) though rapidly weakened to a tropical low within 12 hours. Tropical Cyclone Helen or 10S (for the tenth storm in the southern Indian Ocean) at 6:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. EST) on January 4, was located 120 miles west-southwest of Darwin, Australia, near 13.2 south latitude and 128.9 degrees east longitude. Cyclone Helen - 2013 Severe cyclonic storm Helen was a relatively weak tropical cyclone that formed in the Bay of Bengal Region on November 18, 2013, from the remnants of Tropical … Aerial searches were made later that day for him,[11] though he was later declared dead. Tropical Cyclone Hellen. Weather Underground provides tracking maps, 5-day forecasts, computer models, satellite imagery and detailed storm statistics for tracking and forecasting Tropical Cyclone Hellen Tracker. On Nov. 20 at 1200 UTC/7 a.m. EST, Tropical Cyclone Helen … This strengthening was short-lived as wind shear over the low increased, displacing convection from its centre. Posted by Jamie and Alissa on March 31, 2014 in Blog, Uncategorized | 1 comment (11:30am Monday morning- Madagascar time) If you can’t see it… we’re that massive island (the world’s 4th largest in fact) underneath this storm! Residents with trees in their yards or even on their homes were told to contact private contractors to remove them. To find out more click here . [17] Cleanup efforts dragged on for more than two months as debris was still present in Darwin in March. Hellen rapidly intensified from a 60 kt (70 mph) tropical storm to a 130 kt (150 mph) Category-4 tropical cyclone in 18 hours (satellite-based)! [1] The JTWC assessed Helen to have been slightly weaker, with peak winds estimated at 85 km/h (50 mph). [1] After becoming a tropical cyclone, the storm produced additional moderate to heavy rainfall, generally totaling between 100 and 200 mm (3.9 and 7.9 in). The maximum recorded wind gust was 120 km/h at Charles Point Lighthouse, while Darwin experienced a maximum wind gust of 102 km/h at about 2am CST 5 January. [7] The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens and Territory Wildlife Park were also closed for the duration of the storm. [1], Near Channel Point, the cyclone brought a storm surge of 2 to 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft), barely surpassing the highest astronomical tide in a few areas. tropical cyclone (tc) 03s (three), located approximately 53 nm south-southeast of port hedland, australia, has tracked southeastward at 24 knots over the past six hours. 400 evacuated in Mayotte 170 homes destroyed in Madagascar 910 displaced By this time, it was situated over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and was beginning to retrograde eastward. If a tropical cyclone causes at least 300 deaths and P1-B worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure, the name of that tropical cyclone will be decommissioned or dropped from the list. [4] The warning area was later condensed to encompass areas from Wadeye to Cape Hotham, including Darwin and the Tiwi Islands. The Katherine River at Nitmiluk Centre reached minor flood level on the afternoon of Sunday 6 January. Time of This Image: 2014-03-30 18:00. The storm struck in a fairly sparsely settled part of Australia: the only major city, Darwin, is 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Channel Point, where the Category 2 storm ultimately came ashore. This largely contributed to the lack of storm surge damage to coastal areas. Bureau Home > Tropical Cyclones > Past Tropical Cyclones > Tropical Cyclone Helen. Helen reached category two intensity before making landfall south of Darwin late on 4 January. Approximately 15,000 homes lost power on Friday night, and there was widespread communications disruption. HELEN's eye came ashore in northwestern Madagascar On March 31, 2014 with winds predicted to be about 95kts (~109 mph). In general, this event results in increased sea surface temperatures near Australia. However, it was not replaced by any particular name as a new naming scheme was implemented the following season. [4] Residents in the Aboriginal community of Wadeye were strongly advised to take precautions for the storm. [9] Darwin Harbour was mostly shut down as seas became too rough to sail in. [1] Between 1 and 6 January, a total of 174.6 mm (6.87 in) of rain fell in Darwin. [15] The main power lines in the city were restored within 24 hours and rural areas were stated to have their power back within a day or two. Tropical cyclone HELLEN formed in the Mozambique channel northwest of Madagascar on March 28, 2014. [1], By 2 January, the weak low moved over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf where it slowly developed over the following day. Helen Willetts has the details. [1] Once overland again, the remnants of Helen abruptly slowed and were last noted on 7 January in the same region. [13] By 9 January, more than 100 homes were still without power in northern Darwin, resulting in angry outcries from those still left in the dark. The cyclone was weakening as it moved northwest and was expected to make landfall in the state of Andhra Pradesh as a tropical storm or category 1 cyclone overnight on November 21–22. Generally tracking westward, the system eventually intensified into a tropical cyclone and was given the name Helen on 2 January. The fourth named storm of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, Helen developed out of a weak area of low pressure in late December over the Top End region of Australia. Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to bring gale-force winds to Darwin, Australia since 1985. [1][3] Prior to the arrival of Cyclone Helen on 4 January, the Bureau of Meteorology issued cyclone warnings for areas between the Mitchell Plateau, in Western Australia, to Cape Hotham in the Northern Territory. HELLEN became a very powerful tropical cyclone with peak sustained winds of 130kts (about 150 mph) on March 30, 2014. [10], Throughout the Top End region, the precursor to Helen resulted in a prolonged period of moderate rains over a relatively large area. Tropical Cyclone Helen swirled just off the northern coast of Australia on January 4, 2008. Helen was the eighth tropical cyclone of the 1973/74 season to develop in the Western Australian Region; and it was the fifth to have some direct effect on the Australian continent. Schools and day cares within a 50 km (31 mi) radius of the city were closed on 4 January. [14] Removal of tree stumps took through at least mid-April as the cost to remove downed trees exceeded A$1 million (US$882,000). Winds in Darwin were enough to uproot or snap many trees. Tropical Cyclone Hellen This Meteosat-10 image, acquired at 10:00 UTC on 30 March 2014, shows Cyclone Hellen over Madagascar. Shortly thereafter, a strong westerly monsoon flow to the north caused Helen to turn eastward, back towards land. [19][citation needed], Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, Timeline of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, "Tropical Cyclone Helen Tropical Cyclone Report", "Tropical Cyclone 09S (Helen) Best Track", "Cyclone Helen upgraded, shelters open in Darwin", "Bureau predicts cyclone to hit Cape York", "Energy Resources Stops Uranium Mining Due to Cyclone (Update2)", "2008 Daily Rainfall Summary for Stokes Hill, Northern Territory", "Power and Water take strong stance over tree-clearing", "Power restored to Darwin homes after cyclone", Retired Australian region tropical cyclone names, Category 2 Australian region tropical cyclones, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cyclone_Helen_(2008)&oldid=963641544, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 June 2020, at 23:22. When this Meteosat-10 Convection RGB image was acquired, Hellen had average wind speeds of 233 km/h (145 mph), equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane. [5] By 6 January, warnings were issued for the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula between Karumba and Weipa as the remnants of Helen were forecast to regain storm intensity. These rains caused the Victoria River to swell over its banks and flood nearby areas. Gradually accelerating, the remnants of Helen moved over the Gulf of Carpentaria before striking land again on 6 January. Powerlines also came down when trees fell across them. Overall losses from the storm reached A$1.3 million (US$1.1 million) with an additional A$1 million (US$882,000)[nb 1] in cleanup costs. Tropical Cyclone Hellen formed in the northwest Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar on 03/28/14. Latest from this section As a tropical cyclone, Helen produced significant wind gusts across the Top End, peaking at 120 km/h (75 mph), downing thousands of trees. Winds peaked around 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour) late on January 4. Tropical Cyclone Hellen peaked on March 30 with sustained winds around 150 miles per hour (240 km per hour). Steadily strengthening, the low attained gale-force winds near its centre during the morning of 4 January and was subsequently named Helen by the Bureau of Meteorology. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of Cyclone 04B (Helen) on November 21, 2013. SH212014 - Tropical Cyclone (>=96 kt) HELLEN. Latest Image | Archive | About. [1] Once over water, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) designated the system as Tropical Depression 09S. 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