2006 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Monica 2006
Cyclone Monica intensified over the Gulf of Carpentaria after crossing Cape York in April 2006. Its final approach to Arnhem Land brought extreme winds that stripped foliage across thousands of square kilometers.
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178 mph
Apr 23, 2006 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Across Cape York and back over water
Monica developed near Papua New Guinea on April 16 and moved west toward northern Queensland. It became a severe tropical cyclone before reaching the coast near Lockhart River on April 19. The land crossing disrupted its thunderstorms, but the circulation survived and emerged over the Gulf of Carpentaria the next day.
Rapid strengthening toward Arnhem Land
The cyclone reorganized over the Gulf, developing a distinct eye. Maximum one-minute winds reached 155 kt on April 23, equivalent to Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. On April 24, Monica came ashore about 35 kilometers west of Maningrida, then weakened to a tropical low within roughly a day.
Widespread forest damage
Monica's winds stripped foliage across about 7,000 square kilometers of the Northern Territory. Structural losses were much smaller than the forest damage might suggest because the strongest winds crossed sparsely populated country. The saved account reports no deaths or injuries and estimates losses at A$6.6 million in 2006 currency.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Monica in brief
What was Cyclone Monica's highest wind speed?
178 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Apr 23, 2006, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Monica?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Apr 23, 2006, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Monica's lowest pressure?
879 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Apr 23, 2006, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Cyclone Monica occur?
The archived track runs from Apr 16, 2006, 12:00 AM UTC to Apr 27, 2006, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Apr 16, 2006, 12:00 AM UTC to Apr 27, 2006, 06:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Monica form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 2006 season. Its first archived position is 9.5°S, 152.5°E on Apr 16, 2006, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Cyclone Monica make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 3 recorded positions; the strongest is 132 mph on Apr 24, 2006, 12:00 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