Hayley

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hayley developed on 27 December 2025 in the Australian region, forming during an exceptionally active stretch of the season that saw six named systems develop by early January. Hayley reached a peak intensity of Category 4 on the Australian scale before tracking toward the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, where it made landfall a few days after formation. The system weakened from its Category 4 peak prior to and during the landfall event. Hayley formed part of a remarkable run of intense cyclones during the 2025–26 season, which was characterised by record-warm sea surface temperatures and a strongly negative Indian Ocean Dipole that provided favourable conditions for rapid intensification across the basin. The season as a whole was the most active in the Australian region to that point in the calendar year since 1973–74, with Hayley contributing to that record pace of activity. Specific details regarding casualties, infrastructure damage, or localised impacts from Hayley's Kimberley landfall were not elaborated upon in available reporting, though the broader season saw significant destruction from several systems that affected the Western Australian coast during the same period.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia