Owen

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Owen was an unusually erratic and long-lived system that developed on 28 November 2018 from an area of low pressure near the Solomon Islands. It was classified as Tropical Low 04U by the Bureau of Meteorology before being named Owen after reaching Category 1 status on 2 December. The system struggled in unfavourable conditions and weakened back to a tropical low on 3 December, drifting westward before making its first landfall near Port Douglas, Queensland, around 9 December as a tropical low.

Moving into the Gulf of Carpentaria, Owen re-intensified into a tropical cyclone on 12 December and rapidly strengthened into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. It made landfall in the Northern Territory in the early hours of 13 December, then turned eastward, reaching peak intensity of 150 km/h sustained winds and a central pressure of 958 hPa before making a third landfall near the mouth of the Gilbert River, southwest of Kowanyama, Queensland, on 14 December. The system degenerated to a tropical low by 15 December and finally dissipated on 20 December.

Owen's most significant impacts came from rainfall and flooding. Halifax received 681 mm of rain, flash flooding cut the Bruce Highway near Ingham, one person drowned, and several others required rescue. Agricultural losses included sugarcane crops and approximately 281 chickens. Total economic damage was estimated at around AU$32.5 million.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia