DAMIEN
1998-99 season · AU199899_07U
History
Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien formed as a tropical low in the eastern Indian Ocean on 21 January 1999, during the highly active 1998–99 Australian region cyclone season. Tracking steadily west-southwest through an environment of low wind shear, the system reached tropical cyclone intensity on 23 January before intensifying further to severe tropical cyclone status, equivalent to Category 3 on the Australian scale. At its peak, Damien recorded a minimum central pressure of approximately 970 hPa, with maximum sustained winds of around 120 km/h and gusts reaching up to 165 km/h.
On 25 January, the cyclone passed to the south of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands while at or near peak intensity. Although the islands experienced elevated swells and rain squalls, the most intense winds remained well offshore and no structural damage was reported there. Shortly after reaching its peak, increasing upper-level wind shear caused the system to rapidly weaken and lose organisation. On 28 January, Damien crossed 90°E into the South-West Indian Ocean basin, where it came under the responsibility of RSMC La Réunion and was renamed Tropical Cyclone Birenda before dissipating over open water.
The system never approached the Australian mainland, made no landfall, and caused no recorded casualties or structural damage. It is distinct from the separate Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien that affected the Western Australian Pilbara coast in 2020.
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia
View full track data (89 observations)
| Date/Time (UTC) | Category | Position | Pressure | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-01-21 00:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 113.3 | — | 13 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 01:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 113.2 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 06:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 112.9 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 07:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 112.8 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 10:00:00 | 1 | -12.8, 112.4 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 12:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 112.2 | 991 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 13:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 112.1 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 16:00:00 | 1 | -12.9, 111.6 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 18:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 111.3 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 19:00:00 | 1 | -13.0, 111.2 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-21 22:00:00 | 1 | -13.1, 110.7 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 110.4 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 01:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 110.2 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 109.7 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 109.4 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 109.2 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 108.8 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 12:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 108.5 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 13:00:00 | 1 | -13.2, 108.4 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 16:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 107.9 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 18:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 107.6 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 19:00:00 | 1 | -13.3, 107.4 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-22 22:00:00 | 1 | -13.4, 106.9 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 00:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 106.6 | 986 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 01:00:00 | 1 | -13.5, 106.5 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 04:00:00 | 1 | -13.6, 106.0 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 06:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 105.7 | 981 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 07:00:00 | 1 | -13.7, 105.5 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 10:00:00 | 1 | -13.9, 105.0 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 12:00:00 | 1 | -14.0, 104.7 | 976 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.1, 104.5 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.3, 104.1 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 103.8 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 103.6 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1999-01-23 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 103.2 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 102.8 | 966 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 102.6 | 965 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 102.0 | 960 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 101.6 | 960 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 101.4 | 960 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 10:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 100.8 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 100.4 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 13:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 100.2 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 16:00:00 | 1 | -15.8, 99.7 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 99.3 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 19:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 99.1 | 955 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-24 22:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 98.6 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 00:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 98.1 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 01:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 97.9 | 950 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 04:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 97.3 | 955 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 06:00:00 | 1 | -15.8, 96.8 | 955 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 07:00:00 | 1 | -15.8, 96.6 | 955 hPa | 44 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 10:00:00 | 1 | -15.7, 96.1 | 960 hPa | 41 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 95.8 | 960 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 13:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 95.7 | 960 hPa | 39 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 16:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 95.4 | 965 hPa | 36 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 19:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 95.2 | 970 hPa | 33 km/h |
| 1999-01-25 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.9, 95.0 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.8, 94.9 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 94.8 | 975 hPa | 31 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 94.6 | 980 hPa | 28 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 06:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.5 | 983 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.5 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 10:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.3 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 12:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.2 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 13:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.2 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 16:00:00 | 1 | -14.4, 94.1 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 18:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 94.0 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 19:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 94.0 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-26 22:00:00 | 1 | -14.5, 93.9 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 00:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 93.8 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 01:00:00 | 1 | -14.6, 93.8 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 04:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 93.5 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 06:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 93.4 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 07:00:00 | 1 | -14.7, 93.4 | 985 hPa | 26 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 10:00:00 | 1 | -15.0, 93.0 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 12:00:00 | 1 | -15.1, 92.9 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 13:00:00 | 1 | -15.2, 92.8 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 16:00:00 | 1 | -15.3, 92.4 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 18:00:00 | 1 | -15.5, 92.1 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 19:00:00 | 1 | -15.6, 92.0 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-27 22:00:00 | 1 | -15.8, 91.6 | 990 hPa | 21 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 00:00:00 | 1 | -15.9, 91.3 | 993 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 01:00:00 | 1 | -16.0, 91.1 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 04:00:00 | 1 | -16.2, 90.5 | 995 hPa | 18 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 06:00:00 | 1 | -16.3, 90.2 | 998 hPa | 15 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 07:00:00 | 1 | -16.4, 90.0 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 10:00:00 | 1 | -16.7, 89.5 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |
| 1999-01-28 12:00:00 | 1 | -16.9, 89.2 | 1000 hPa | 13 km/h |