2010 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Ului 2010
Ului intensified from a tropical storm to Category 5 strength within about 30 hours. It later crossed the Coral Sea and struck Queensland at a much lower intensity.
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161 mph
Mar 14, 2010 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Rapid intensification near Vanuatu
Ului's precursor was identified north of Hiw Island, Vanuatu, in early March. The developing circulation moved slowly westward, with thunderstorms and curved rainbands becoming better organized. It received its name on March 12 and strengthened rapidly over the next two days.
The archive records peak sustained winds of 140 knots on March 14. Ului then weakened while continuing into the Coral Sea. Its intensity declined for several days before a final increase as the cyclone approached Australia.
Through the Whitsundays to Queensland
Ului crossed the outer Whitsunday Islands and made landfall near Airlie Beach early on March 21 local time. It was classified as Category 3 on the Australian cyclone scale at the coast, a different scale from the one-minute wind categories used in the track display.
Queensland's agricultural losses were estimated at A$60 million, with a further A$20 million in infrastructure damage. The substantial farm losses made agriculture the largest part of the reported damage bill.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Ului in brief
What was Cyclone Ului's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Mar 14, 2010, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Ului?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Mar 14, 2010, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Ului's lowest pressure?
918 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Mar 14, 2010, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Ului occur?
The archived track runs from Mar 10, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC to Mar 22, 2010, 12:00 AM UTC, with the tropical stage from Mar 10, 2010, 06:00 PM UTC to Mar 21, 2010, 09:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Ului form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 2010 season. Its first archived position is 14.6°S, 168°E on Mar 10, 2010, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Ului make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 2 recorded positions; the strongest is 78 mph on Mar 20, 2010, 04:00 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