 Gillian near the end of its rapid intensification phase on 23 March | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 6 March 2014 |
| Dissipated | 27 March 2014 |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (BOM) | |
| Highest winds | 220 km/h (140 mph) |
| Highest gusts | 315 km/h (195 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 927 hPa (mbar); 27.37 inHg |
| Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 918 hPa (mbar); 27.11 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None reported |
| Damage | Minimal |
| Areas affected | Queensland, Northern Territory, East Timor, Indonesia, Christmas Island |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2013–14 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gillian was the second most powerful of the 2013–14 Australian region cyclone season and the strongest in the basin in four years. It developed on 8 March, 2014, in the Gulf of Carpentaria offshore northern Australia. It drifted southeastward, moving over northwestern Queensland on 10 March as a weak tropical cyclone, and subsequently turned to the southwest and later to the west. Unfavourable wind shear, land interaction, and dry air prevented much restrengthening, and for several days Gillian was a weak tropical low. The storm moved northward and curved westward around the Top End of northwestern Australia, and subsequently moved across several islands in Indonesia, first Timor on 18 March. On 21 March, Gillian again became a tropical cyclone as it moved away from Indonesia. On the next day, it passed just southeast of Christmas Island as an intensifying storm, and subsequently Gillian underwent rapid deepening. On 23 March, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) estimated peak 10-minute sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph). On the same day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), making it a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Increased wind shear caused the cyclone to rapidly weaken, and both BoM and JTWC discontinued advisories on Gillian on 26 March.
The cyclone affected northern Australia with gusty winds and some rainfall, while on the Indonesian island of Java, it produced strong waves. While moving near Christmas Island, Gillian downed thousands of trees and damaged the roof of one of the oldest buildings on the island. Winds gusted to 96 km/h (60 mph), making it the first cyclone to affect Christmas Island in six years. The storm also affected the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.