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User:ChocolateTrain/Cyclone Blake (2020)

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Tropical Cyclone Blake
Category 1 tropical cyclone (Aus scale)
tropical storm (SSHWS)
Blake at peak intensity near the coast of the Dampier Peninsula on 6 January
Formed4 January 2020
Dissipated8 January 2020
Highest winds10-minute sustained: 75 km/h (45 mph)
1-minute sustained: 95 km/h (60 mph)
Gusts: 100 km/h (65 mph)
Lowest pressure986 hPa (mbar); 29.12 inHg
FatalitiesNone
DamageMinor
Areas affectedWestern Australia
Part of the 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season

Tropical Cyclone Blake was a weak tropical cyclone that affected Western Australia during early January 2020. It was the first tropical low and first tropical cyclone of the 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season. Blake developed from a tropical low that formed in a monsoon trough south of Indonesia on 4 January. Atmospheric conditions in the region were favourable for development, and allowed the low to strengthen while tracking somewhat erratically towards the Kimberley coastline. The system was upgraded to a tropical cyclone on 6 January and quickly reached its peak intensity before making landfall on Dampier Peninsula at 5 p.m. local time. Blake re-emerged over water six hours later; however, the time spent over land had degraded the cyclone's structure considerably, resulting in weakening. Blake gradually restrengthened while tracking towards the southwest, although its proximity to the coast once again hampered development. On 7 January, Blake made its final landfall on Eighty Mile Beach near the Wallal Downs cattle station, just before midnight local time. The system weakened to a tropical low shortly after crossing the coast. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Blake proceeded to move south-southeastwards across central Western Australia over the following days.

Reaching tropical cyclone intensity only on 6 January, Blake was the latest-forming first tropical cyclone in an Australian season since Stan in the 2015–16 season.

Meteorological history edit

 
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
  Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

Following a very inactive start to the 2019–20 Australian region cyclone season due to the influence of the 2019 positive Indian Ocean Dipole event, a monsoon trough developed to the south of Indonesia on 1 January 2020.[1] As the monsoon trough extended eastwards over the following days, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported that they were monitoring the area for possible tropical low formation in the near future.[2] As expected, a weak tropical low formed within the monsoon trough at 00:00 UTC on 4 January, several hundred kilometres off the coast of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The official identifier code 02U was assigned to the system upon its formation.[3]

Satellite imagery at the time showed the presence of flaring deep convection over the system, as well as considerable cyclonic rotation extending into the mid troposphere. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed the environment as supportive of tropical cyclogenesis, citing well-established dual-channel outflow, warm sea surface temperatures and moderate vertical wind shear values.[4] The system tracked towards the south-southwest while gradually gathering strength in the favourable environment, before becoming slow-moving about 220 km (135 mi) west of Cape Leveque at 09:00 UTC on 5 January.[5] A few hours later, the BOM indicated that an expansive area of sustained gale-force winds had developed in the tropical low's southwestern quadrant.[6] Owing to the increase in wind speed, the JTWC upgraded the system to Tropical Storm 06S at 18:00 UTC.[7] Gales fully encircled the tropical low six hours later as it began tracking eastwards, leading the BOM to upgrade the system to a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. The cyclone was named "Blake", and was the first cyclone of the season.[8]

Preparations edit

Impacts edit

On the morning of 9 January, QantasLink flight 2650 from Perth suffered a low-speed runway excursion while landing at Newman Airport in central Western Australia.[9] The Fokker 100 aircraft overran the runway by approximately 60 m (200 ft) and came to a stop on the runway end safety area. None of the 80 passengers or crew members on board were injured. The plane was unable to be moved immediately due to being stuck in mud and gravel, forcing the airport to be closed for the remainder of the day and 17 flights to be cancelled. Early news reports suggested that adverse weather conditions associated with Ex-Tropical Cyclone Blake may have been involved in the incident.[10] Observations recorded by the BOM's automatic weather station at Newman Airport at 07:00 local time, about 15 minutes prior to the event, indicate that sustained winds were from the southeast at 43 km/h with maximum gusts of 61 km/h, and that the airport had received 9.4 mm (0.37 in) of rainfall in the previous 30 minutes.[11] QantasLink and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating the incident.[10]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Weekly Tropical Climate Note". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Western Region Tropical Cyclone Outlook". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Western Region Tropical Cyclone Outlook". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 4 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Indian Ocean (91S)". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. 4 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Blake Forecast Track Map #6 (09Z)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Blake Forecast Track Map #8 (15Z)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Blake Forecast Track Map #8 (15Z)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Blake Forecast Track Map #11 (00Z)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 6 January 2020. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Newman Airport closed following incident on runway". Shire of East Pilbara. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Qantas plane slides off runway at Newman Airport due to Cyclone Blake downpour". Seven News. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Newman Airport Weather Observations". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyclone Blake.
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