VIOLET

History

Tropical Cyclone Violet began as a tropical low that developed over the Coral Sea during the afternoon of 2 March 1995. Tracking towards the south-west, the system steadily deepened and was upgraded to a Category 1 tropical cyclone on 3 March, at which point it received the name Violet from the Brisbane warning centre.

Violet changed course on the afternoon of 5 March, swinging to a south-easterly heading while continuing to strengthen. It reached its peak as a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, with maximum mean winds of 150 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 960 hPa. The cyclone then began a gradual weakening trend as it turned back towards the south-west on the evening of 6 March. Over the following day Violet lost its tropical characteristics and transformed into a deep extratropical low with a central pressure of 980 hPa.

In this weakened form the system made its closest approach to land on 7 March, passing roughly 50 km off the northern New South Wales coast. It then executed a loop towards the south-east before dissipating on 8 March.

Impacts were minor, with the only reported damage being beach erosion at Lord Howe Island and along the northern New South Wales coastline. Despite the limited damage, the name Violet was subsequently retired and later replaced with Verity.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia