Overall Green alert Tropical Cyclone for OWEN-18
in Australia

Event summary

Tropical Cyclone OWEN-18 can have a low humanitarian impact based on the maximum sustained wind speed, exposed population and vulnerability.

GDACS ID TC 1000533
Name OWEN-18
From - To 02 Dec - 15 Dec
Exposed countries Australia
Exposed population Few people in Category 1 or higher
Maximum wind speed 167 km/h Category 2
Maximum storm surge 0.4 m (02 Dec 06:00 UTC)
Vulnerability Low (Australia)

GDACS Score

For more info on GDACS alert score click here.
Wind Storm surge Rainfall GDACS score
GDACS JTWC 65 km/h 0.4 m n.a. 0.5
Single TC: maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge, rainfall)
HWRF n.a n.a. n.a. n.a.
GFS n.a n.a. n.a. n.a.
ECMWF n.a n.a. n.a. n.a.
Maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge and rainfall) using different data sources.
Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Australia - Tropical cyclone OWEN update (ECHO 18 Dec 2018)Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:59

  • After the passage of tropical cyclone OWEN over the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) on 14-15 December, one person was reportedly killed following flooding in Mutarnee village (north of Townsville city, north-east Queensland).
  • Over the next 24 hours, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), moderate residual rainfall is forecast over the Gulf of Carpentaria, the cape York Peninsula and the coastal areas of central-northern Queensland.
Australia - Tropical Cyclone OWEN update (ECHO 14 Dec 2018)Fri, 14 Dec 2018 10:58

  • Tropical cyclone OWEN continued east over the Gulf of Carpentaria toward the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland). Heavy rain, strong winds and storm surge are currently affecting the area. On 14 December at 0.00 UTC, its centre was located approx. 395 km west of Kowanyama town and it had maximum sustained winds of 139 km/h.
  • OWEN is forecast to continue east over the Gulf of Carpentaria and could make landfall close to Kowanyama town on 14 December late in the afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 120-140 km/h. 
  • As of 14 December, a warning zone community advisory is in effect over the central-southern Cape York Peninsula.
Australia - Tropical Cyclone OWEN update (ECHO 13 Dec 2018)Thu, 13 Dec 2018 10:57

  • Tropical cyclone OWEN continued west-south-west over the Gulf of Carpentaria toward the coast of eastern Northern Territory, strenghtening. On 13 December at 0.00 UTC, its centre was located approx. 100 km north-west of Port McArthur Town (Northern Territory) with maximum sustained winds of 139 km/h.
  • OWEN is forecast to strengthen as it turns east over the Gulf of Carpentaria, with maximum sustained winds of 167 km/h. It may reach the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) on the afternoon of 14 December. Heavy rain, strong winds and storm surge could affect the eastern Northern Territory and the Cape York Peninsula over 13-15 December.
  • As of 13 December, a warning zone advisory remains in effect over coastal areas of eastern Northern Territory and western Cape York Peninsula.
Australia - Tropical Cyclone OWEN (ECHO 12 Dec 2018)Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:00

  • Heavy rainfall, caused by the remnants of Tropical Cyclone OWEN continued affecting northern Queensland, specially the Cape York Peninsula and north-eastern coastal areas, since 9 December.
  • OWEN started strengthening again on 11 December over the Gulf of Carpentaria. On 12 December at 0.00 UTC, its centre was located over the Gulf of Carpentaria 455 km north-west of Karumba town and it had maximum sustained winds of 83 km/h (tropical storm).
  • Over the next 24 hours, OWEN is forecast to move westward before turning south-east over the Gulf of Carpentaria, strenghtening, with maximum sustained winds of 120-139 km/h. It should continue south-east reaching the coast of the Cape York Peninsula on 14 December. Heavy rainfall, strong wind and storm surge could affect the area over 12-15 December.
  • The Boreau of Meteorology (BOM), as of 12 December, issued a warning zone advisory over the coastal areas of eastern Northern Territory and western Queensland.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

Latest media headlines

WATCH: Cyclone Owen flooding properties as it crosses Qld 12/15/2018 2:26:00 AM.

"There's no structural damage, a little debris, we're all good and in one piece. "What I'm really happy about is the preparation. Everyone went into lockdown and took the threat seriously. "It's back to business as usual." At 5.45am, the Bu
...(more)
Destructive winds to 130km/h as Cyclone Owen moves inland 12/15/2018 12:10:00 AM.

Areas of heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, are expected to develop further about the southeast Gulf of Carpentaria coast and across Cape York Peninsula during the early hours of today as the cyclone crosses. These areas of h
...(more)
Le cyclone Owen menace les côtes nord-australiennes 12/14/2018 2:10:00 PM.

Cette violente perturbation s'est renforcée au large de la côte nord du Queensland, dans les eaux chaudes du golfe de Carpentaria. Owen devrait passer en catégorie quatre-violent cyclone tropical avec des vents très destructeurs-lorsqu'il a
...(more)
Les ouragans 12/14/2018 1:20:00 PM.

Le puissant cyclone Owen menace les côtes nord-australiennes. Vidéographie sur les ouragans.

View more news

Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (38), (2), WMO (1), INFORM (2),