1992 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Fran 1992
Cyclone Fran crossed the southwest Pacific in March 1992 and became the third cyclone in four weeks to affect Vanuatu. After weakening over the Coral Sea, it reached Queensland and then returned to sea as a decaying circulation.
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161 mph
Mar 8, 1992 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
An intense passage near Vanuatu
Fran developed near Wallis and Futuna and was named on 5 March. It moved southwest, passing north of Fiji before intensifying toward Vanuatu. The archive records peak one-minute winds of 140 kt on 8 March.
The cyclone passed between Efate and Erromango on 9 March, then moved north of New Caledonia. More than 130 houses on Efate lost their roofs. Flooding and landslides affected New Caledonia, while Fiji also reported damage.
Queensland landfall and a return to sea
Fran weakened and moved erratically over the Coral Sea before reaching the Queensland coast near the town of 1770 early on 16 March local time. It was a Category 2 cyclone on the Australian scale by then, far below its South Pacific peak.
Major river flooding occurred in Queensland, but no deaths were attributed to the cyclone there. Fran turned southeast and moved back offshore, becoming extratropical. Its remnants passed Norfolk Island and persisted until 21 March. Five deaths were reported across the storm's full path, and the name Fran was retired.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Fran in brief
What was Cyclone Fran's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Mar 8, 1992, 06:00 PM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Fran?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Mar 8, 1992, 06:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Fran's lowest pressure?
920 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Mar 8, 1992, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Cyclone Fran occur?
The archived track runs from Mar 4, 1992, 12:00 AM UTC to Mar 21, 1992, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Mar 4, 1992, 12:00 AM UTC to Mar 17, 1992, 12:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Fran form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 1992 season. Its first archived position is 10.4°S, 176.3°W on Mar 4, 1992, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Cyclone Fran make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 52 mph on Mar 15, 1992, 06:00 PM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology