View source for Cyclone Steve

{{Short description|Category 3 Australian region cyclone in 2000}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Other hurricane uses|List of storms named Steve}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name = Tropical Cyclone Steve
| image = TC Steve 07 mar 2000 0240Z.jpg
| caption = Steve after peak intensity on 7 March
| formed = 27 February 2000
| extratropical = 11 March 2000
| dissipated = 11 March 2000
}}{{Infobox weather event/Aus
| winds = 60
| pressure = 975
}}{{Infobox weather event/JTWC
| winds = 65
| pressure = 
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = None
| currency = AUD
| damage-prefix = >
| damage = 100000000
| damage-suffix = ?
| areas = [[Queensland]], [[Northern Territory]], [[Western Australia]]
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = [[1999–00 Australian region cyclone season]]
}}

'''Tropical Cyclone Steve''' was a [[tropical cyclone]] that affected northern Australia from 27 February 2000 until 11 March 2000. Cyclone Steve was noted for its longevity and traversal of northern and western Australia. It impacted on regions of northern [[Queensland]], the [[Northern Territory]] and [[Western Australia]] before clearing to the south of the continent. Steve is the first known Australian cyclone to make four distinct landfalls in the country.<ref name="March 2000 Cyclone Report">{{cite web|author=Gary Padgett|title=MONTHLY GLOBAL TROPICAL CYCLONE SUMMARY|accessdate=28 June 2006|url=http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2000/summ0003.txt|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060316081148/http://www.australiansevereweather.com/cyclones/2000/summ0003.txt|archivedate=16 March 2006}}</ref>

==Meteorological history==
{{storm path|Steve 2000 track.png}}
A tropical low formed in the [[Coral Sea]] to the east of [[Willis Island]] on 25 February 2000. The system rapidly intensified to become Tropical Cyclone Steve at around 7&nbsp;am [[Time in Australia|Australian Eastern Standard Time]] (AEST) ([[UTC+10]]) on 27 February 2000. The cyclone crossed the [[Queensland]] coast as a Category&nbsp;2 system on 27 February to the north of [[Cairns]] at around 7&nbsp;pm AEST. Steve weakened slowly over land and was downgraded to a tropical low on 28 February.

The low tracked westward and re-intensified to tropical cyclone strength over the [[Gulf of Carpentaria]] on the same day at around 10&nbsp;pm AEST. The cyclone passed over [[Mornington Island]] in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria and crossed the [[Northern Territory]] coast north of [[Port McArthur]] on 1 March as a Category&nbsp;1. The cyclone weakened back to a tropical low again, but maintained a strong low to middle-level circulation as it crossed the base of the Top End of the Northern Territory. The low moved just south of the [[Joseph Bonaparte Gulf]] into the Kimberley region of [[Western Australia]] and reformed once again into a tropical cyclone just west of [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]] on 5 March at 1&nbsp;pm [[Time in Australia|Australian Western Standard Time]] (AWST) ([[UTC+8]]).

Cyclone Steve moved in a west southwest direction parallel to the [[Pilbara]] coast and strengthened further during the day and was upgraded to a Category&nbsp;2 system early on 6 March. The cyclone deepened to a pressure of 975&nbsp;hPa during the day. Continuing on its path to the southwest, Steve passed north of [[Port Hedland]] and [[Karratha]] on 6 March, before crossing the Pilbara coast near [[Mardie, Western Australia|Mardie]] around midnight on 6 March (Steve's third landfall). The system was again downgraded to Category&nbsp;1 as it moved inland.

At around midnight on 7 March, Steve again moved offshore about {{convert|175|km|mi}} north of [[Carnarvon, Western Australia|Carnarvon]] and moved southwards along the coast. However, the system did not intensify further beyond Category&nbsp;1 and made its final (fourth) landfall at around midnight on 9 March east of [[Denham, Western Australia|Denham]]. Steve then continued to track to the south-east and increased in speed across southern parts of Western Australia during the 10 and 11 March and becoming extra-tropical, before moving offshore for the final time to the east of [[Esperance, Western Australia|Esperance]] late on 11 March and over the waters of the [[Great Australian Bight]].<ref name="BoM - WA Tropical Cyclone Season Summary 1999-00">{{cite web|author=Bureau of Meteorology|title=BoM – WA Tropical Cyclone Season Summary 1999-00|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=16 June 2006|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/wa/2000.shtml}}</ref><ref name="Bureau - Tropical Cyclone Steve">{{cite web|author=Bureau of Meteorology|title=Bureau Tropical Cyclone Steve|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=16 June 2006|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/info/cyclone/steve/index.shtml}}</ref>

==Impact==
[[Image:TC Steve 27 feb 2000 0105Z.jpg|left|thumb|Cyclone Steve made its first landfall on 27 February]]

===Queensland===
As Steve tracked inland on the north [[Queensland]] coast, it caused major flooding between [[Cairns]] and [[Mareeba, Queensland|Mareeba]]. A record flood level of {{convert|12.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} was reached at Mareeba on 28 February 2000. Many buildings in Cairns suffered severe water damage including the Cairns Hospital. Cairns recorded its wettest February on record with the suburb of Manunda measuring {{convert|1462.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} and Bartle Frere recording {{convert|3376|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="March 2000 Cyclone Report"/> Wind gusts up to {{convert|140|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} caused several buildings in Cairns and Kuranda to lose their roofs. Hundreds of trees were uprooted and powerlines were brought down throughout the district, disrupting supplies to more than 40,000 residents. In Cairns, a giant fig tree was uprooted with the entire root system out of the ground. Crop damage by floods and winds was severe, with the sugar cane damage alone estimated at {{AUD|20}}&nbsp;million. Early estimates indicate that the total damage bill in north Queensland associated with Cyclone Steve may exceed {{AUD|100}}&nbsp;million.<ref name="BoM-Impact from Steve">{{cite web|author=Bureau of Meteorology|title=BoM-Impact from Steve|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=16 June 2006|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/info/cyclone/steve/steve_impacts.shtml}}</ref>

===Northern Territory===
Severe winds squalls and heavy rainfall was recorded across the Top End. Several trees were uprooted in [[Gunbalanya, Northern Territory|Gunbalanya]] (Oenpelli) which reported winds gusts in excess of {{convert|90|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Gusts near {{convert|90|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} in Darwin overnight on 2 March brought down trees. Widespread flooding resulted in the Katherine, Daly and Victoria River regions. Water levels in the Katherine River came to within about {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=off}} of those experienced in the 1998 floods but subsided without inundating the town.<ref name="March 2000 Cyclone Report"/> Rainfall across the Top End, Victoria River region over a four-day period between 29 February to 4 March was between {{convert|200|and|400|mm|in|abbr=off}}. Similar totals were recorded over four days in the Kimberley region. Numerous Northern Territory roads and highways were cut with many communities isolated.<ref name="BoM-Impact from Steve"/>

===Western Australia===
[[Image:TC Steve 06 mar 2000 0553Z.jpg|thumb|Cyclone Steve near its third landfall on 6 March]]
Near gale-force winds were experienced at [[Port Hedland]] for a period of about 17&nbsp;hours beginning at midnight AWST on 5 March. The peak hourly average wind speed recorded was {{convert|72|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and the maximum gust recorded was {{convert|104|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} (between 8 and 9&nbsp;am AWST 6 March). Winds averaged near {{convert|70|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} at [[Karratha]] in the early evening 6 March and the maximum gust recorded was {{convert|98|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} at 6&nbsp;pm AWST.<ref name="Bureau - Tropical Cyclone Steve"/>

The very heavy rainfall associated with Steve produced widespread flooding in northern parts of the state, including the Gascoyne region. Communities in the Kimberley region which remained isolated for more than two weeks required food and supply air-drops. Low-lying areas of the [[Carnarvon, Western Australia|Carnarvon]] townsite were flooded when the [[Gascoyne River]] breached its banks. The [[Gascoyne River]] at Carnarvon reached its highest level since 1960.

Parts of the western Pilbara and northern Gascoyne received totals that ranged from 200 to 300&nbsp;mm. Several sites reported highest on record daily rainfall amounts including [[Mandora Station|Mandora]] (281.0&nbsp;mm on 6th) and [[Mount Narryer]] (152.0&nbsp;mm on 10th). Carnarvon (100.6&nbsp;mm on 9th) reported its highest March daily rainfall since records commenced at the airport in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_006011_All.shtml|title=Climate statistics- Carnarvon Airport|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=8 August 2008}}</ref> Rainfall ranging from 50 to 100&nbsp;mm continued over inland parts extending in a south-easterly direction from the west Gascoyne to the south coast near [[Esperance, Western Australia|Esperance]]. Flooding occurred in the Esperance area and number of roads and bridges were washed away. Salmon Gums Research Station recorded 91&nbsp;mm of rain on 11 March.<ref name="BoM - WA Tropical Cyclone Season Summary 1999-00"/>

===Retirement===
The name Steve was removed from the official [[Lists of tropical cyclone names|list of tropical cyclone names]] set out by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in [[Brisbane]].<ref name="Retired Names">{{cite web|author=Hurricane Alley|year=2005|title=Retired Tropical Cyclone Names|publisher=Hurricane Alley Inc|accessdate=26 August 2006|url=http://www.hurricanealley.net/retired.htm}}</ref> It was replaced with the name Stan.<ref name="TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES">{{cite web|author=Bureau of Meteorology |year=2005 |title=TROPICAL CYCLONE NAMES |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |accessdate=16 June 2006 |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/cyclone_names.shtml |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615131914/http://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/cyclone_names.shtml |archivedate=15 June 2006 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}
* [[List of retired Australian region cyclone names]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cyclone Steve}}
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/info/cyclone/steve/index.shtml Bureau of Meteorology Report on Cyclone Steve]
* [http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/s_indian/2000/14/track.gif Track of Cyclone Steve from Unisys]

{{Retired Australian cyclones}}
{{Category 2 Australian region tropical cyclones}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steve (2000)}}
[[Category:1999–2000 Australian region cyclone season]]
[[Category:2000 in Australia|Cyclone Steve]]
[[Category:Retired Australian region cyclones]]
[[Category:Category 2 Australian region cyclones]]
[[Category:2000s in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in 2000|Steve]]
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in Queensland]]
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in the Northern Territory]]