Cyclone Helen (2008)

rdf:langString Cyclone Helen (2008)

rdf:langString Tropical Cyclone Helen

rdf:langString Far North Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia

rdf:langString Aus

rdf:langString Helen MODIS Aqua 04 jan 2008 0450Z.jpg

rdf:langString Tropical Cyclone Helen over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on 4 January

rdf:langString Tropical storm

rdf:langString Tropical Cyclone Helen was the first tropical cyclone to bring gale-force winds to Darwin, Australia since 1985. The fourth named storm of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, Helen developed out of a weak area of low pressure in late December over the Top End region of Australia. Generally tracking westward, the system eventually intensified into a tropical cyclone and was given the name Helen on 2 January. By this time, it was situated over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and was beginning to retrograde eastward. Late on 4 January, the storm made landfall near Channel Point with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph) though rapidly weakened to a tropical low within 12 hours. Gradually accelerating, the remnants of Helen moved over the Gulf of Carpentaria before striking land again on 6 January. The system was last noted over the Cape York Peninsula on 7 January. From late December through 6 January, Helen and its precursor low produced significant rainfall over the Northern Territory, generally amounting between 100 and 200 mm (3.9 and 7.9 in). One person drowned in the Victoria River after his car was swept away in a flood. As a tropical cyclone, Helen produced significant wind gusts across the Top End, peaking at 120 km/h (75 mph), downing thousands of trees. In Darwin, roughly 15,000 people were without power due to the storm, more than 100 of which remained so four days after the storm. Overall losses from the storm reached A$1.3 million (US$1.1 million) with an additional A$1 million (US$882,000) in cleanup costs.