ADEL

History

Tropical Cyclone Adel was a notably late-season system, forming well after the usual close of tropical cyclone activity in the Coral Sea basin. It developed from a low embedded in an otherwise inactive monsoon trough over the northern Solomon Sea, roughly 300 km east-southeast of Port Moresby, and was named by the Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre on 13 May 1993. Organising quickly over a pocket of unusually warm water, the compact system reached tropical cyclone intensity later the same day.

Adel tracked generally west-southwestward, passing over Bougainville Island and later moving near Goodenough Island before approaching the southeastern coast of Papua New Guinea. It peaked as a Category 1 system on the Australian scale, with a minimum central pressure near 990 hPa, maximum 10-minute sustained winds of about 75 km/h and gusts to around 100 km/h. Its small size and close proximity to land prevented any further strengthening.

The cyclone crossed the southeastern Papua New Guinean coastline near Central Province late on 14 May as a weakening system. Interaction with the rugged terrain of the Owen Stanley Range rapidly broke down its low-level circulation, and Adel was downgraded to a remnant low early on 15 May before dissipating inland.

Coastal communities in Central and Milne Bay Provinces experienced squally gale-force winds, high seas and heavy rainfall, which triggered flash flooding and landslides in steep country. Wind stripped foliage from trees, and reports from affected areas indicated 345 houses destroyed and a radio tower bent over. Two people were reported drowned, with at least 15 others listed as missing. Australia escaped any effects, as Adel remained far north of Cape York Peninsula and the Coral Sea islands throughout its life.

Adel was the final system of a below-average 1992–93 Australian region season.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia