Cyclone Kerry path, 1979

What the record says

Kerry was a cyclone in the South Pacific and Australian region basin that lasted about 22 days, from 11 February 1979 to 5 March 1979. Its peak was Category 3 (105 kt) on 17 February 1979, with a 1-minute sustained wind of 105 kt (121 mph, 194 km/h). Its lowest recorded pressure was 980 hPa.

• Category 3peak intensity
• 105 ktpeak wind (121 mph)
• 980 hPalowest pressure
• 22 dayslifetime

Source of the peak wind: US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (southern hemisphere). The regional forecast centre (RSMC Wellington (MetService New Zealand)) gave a peak of 55 kt on its own averaging convention (10-minute winds), so the two figures differ.

It has its own page because it reached category 3 or stronger.

This page gives the official record's figures. It does not describe the human cost of the storm, which is far larger than any wind speed or pressure here.

Where it came ashore

• 1 March 1979: Australia (50 kt)

A landfall here is the first tropical position over land after time at sea, so it is within about six hours of the real event. The record shows up to 8.

Countries it came within 50 km of

Strongest effect first.

• Solomon Islands
• Australia

How to read this track

The line joins the storm's six-hourly positions with straight lines, coloured by its intensity at each point, so it shows how the storm strengthened and weakened. The real path curved between the positions. A dashed grey stretch means the storm had become post-tropical. Records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are estimates.

Source: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS, public domain. See data sources and caveats.