JUSTIN

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Justin was an unusually long-lived and erratic system that developed from areas of low pressure observed across the Coral Sea in early March 1997. The storm was named on 7 March and spent approximately three and a half weeks active, finally dissipating on 24 March 1997. During its wandering track, Justin twice threatened the Queensland coast and affected Papua New Guinea on two separate occasions, around 10 March and again around 17 March. The cyclone peaked at Category 3 intensity with sustained winds of around 150 km/h before making landfall north of Cairns as a Category 2 system on 22 March. It subsequently weakened as wind shear increased, dissipating just off the Queensland coast.

The storm caused widespread destruction across several countries. In Papua New Guinea, roughly 30 people were killed and approximately 12,000 were left homeless. The Solomon Islands experienced damaging landslides from heavy rainfall. In Queensland, seven people died — five aboard a yacht that sank, one woman in a landslide, and a boy electrocuted by a downed power line. Economic losses in Australia totalled around $190 million, with agricultural industries — particularly banana, sugar cane, and pawpaw crops — suffering heavily. Infrastructure including roads, bridges, and power lines sustained serious damage. The Great Barrier Reef also experienced localised coral damage. Due to its destructive impact, the name Justin was subsequently retired.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia