NINA

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Nina developed from a tropical low over the Cape York Peninsula on 21 December 1992, moving southwest into the Gulf of Carpentaria before being named by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology on 23 December. Steered by an upper-level trough, the system intensified to Category 2 on the Australian scale and made landfall near Cape Keerweer on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on Christmas Day. It weakened over land before emerging into the Coral Sea and regenerating as a tropical cyclone on 28 December.

Tracking northeast under the influence of Cyclone Kina, Nina re-intensified to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, reaching peak sustained winds of around 140 km/h on 1 January 1993 as it crossed into the South Pacific and struck Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands. Over the following days it weakened while passing through Temotu Province, near Rotuma, Wallis and Futuna, Tonga, and Niue, before being absorbed into Kina's circulation near the Southern Cook Islands on 5 January.

In Queensland, flooding stranded ten fishermen near Port Stewart who required helicopter rescue, and four homes in the Aurukun and Pormpuraaw communities sustained damage. The Solomon Islands suffered the most severe impacts: three people died, including an elderly woman crushed by a collapsed house and newborn twins. Widespread structural destruction occurred across Rennell and Bellona, prompting a government-declared disaster and international aid appeal. Due to the storm's significant regional impact, the name Nina was retired by the World Meteorological Organization.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia