 Cyclone George making landfall on Western Australia at peak intensity on 8 March | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 26 February 2007 |
| Remnant low | 10 March 2007 |
| Dissipated | 13 March 2007 |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (BOM) | |
| Highest winds | 205 km/h (125 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 902 hPa (mbar); 26.64 inHg |
| Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 205 km/h (125 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 941 hPa (mbar); 27.79 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Damage | $15.7 million |
| Areas affected | Northern Territory, Western Australia |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2006–07 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone George was one of the most powerful Australian tropical cyclones on record, attaining a minimum barometric pressure of 902 mbar (hPa; 26.64 inHg). It was also the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2007 and the last Australian region tropical cyclone to achieve this record to date. The cyclone formed on 26 February 2007 in the Northern Territory's Top End, and intensified when it entered the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, before crossing the northern coast of the Kimberley. It moved over the Indian Ocean, intensifying to a Category 4 cyclone, and eventually crossed the Pilbara coast just east of Port Hedland at peak intensity. After further analysis from the Bureau of Meteorology, George was reclassified to Category 5. The cyclone caused significant damage to the town of Port Hedland and numerous isolated mining camps around the town. Losses in Northern Territory amounted to at least A$12 million. Two people died and more than a dozen others were infected in a melioidosis outbreak following the Northern Territory floods. Insured damage in Western Australia amounted to $8 million, and there were three fatalities.