cyclone testing stationsimulated snapshot

Townsville, Queensland

Weather on the built environment

A quiet view of the conditions that matter to the Cyclone Testing Station — wind, pressure, sea state and cyclone history — so we can keep minimising loss and suffering for homes and low-rise buildings across the north.

  • Townsville Aero · BOM 032040
  • 19.25°S 146.77°E · 4 m
  • Season opens 1 Nov 2026 · 26 days

Conditions

Townsville Aero · Tue 6 Oct 2026, 06:00 AEST

Wind

28km/h

ESE · gusting 41

MSL pressure

1009.2hPa

−1.4 hPa over 3 h

Temperature

27.4°C

Max 31.2 · Min 22.8

Humidity

68%

Dew point 21.0 °C

Rain (24 h)

2.4mm

Month to date 6.0 mm

Waves (Hs)

0.9m

Tp 6.8 s · from ESE

Last 24 hours
Mean wind and gusts, km/h
Mean wind Gusts
Wind direction
30-day rose with current bearing
NESW

ESE

from

112°

bearing

41

gust km/h

Coastal

Wave climate and water level for surge context.

Sea state
Townsville wave buoy · Coastal Data System
Significant height (Hs)0.9m
Maximum height (Hmax)1.6m
Peak period (Tp)6.8s
Sea surface temp26.1°C
Hs, last 24 hfrom ESE · 115°
Tide
Predicted water level, metres above LAT
  • High

    09:12

    3.1 m

  • Low

    15:28

    0.8 m

  • High

    21:40

    2.9 m

Station readiness
SWIRLnet towers and the materials lab
SWIRLnet towers4/6 ready
readydeployedmaintenance
Lab queueNATA accredited
Roof batten connection

Cyclic pressure (LIRA)

x
Window assembly

Water penetration

x
Garage door

Static pressure

x

Cyclones

The events that shaped how we build in the north.

Notable North Queensland landfalls
From BOM cyclone history · categories at landfall

2024

25 Jan

Kirrily

Cat 3Townsville

Crossed near Toomulla, north of the city.

2017

28 Mar

Debbie

Cat 4Airlie Beach

Slow-moving system with prolonged damaging winds.

2011

3 Feb

Yasi

Cat 5Mission Beach

Large system; damaging winds reached Townsville.

2006

20 Mar

Larry

Cat 4Innisfail

Major damage to housing across the Cassowary Coast.

2000

3 Apr

Tessi

Cat 2Townsville

Landslides and widespread power outages in the city.

1971

24 Dec

Althea

Cat 4Townsville

Its housing damage helped lead to the Cyclone Testing Station.

Data sources

Public datasets this dashboard is designed around.

Simulated
Townsville Aero climate data
Bureau of Meteorology · 1940 – present

Daily and monthly observations from the official airport station.

  • wind
  • gusts
  • temperature
  • rainfall
  • pressure
  • humidity
Historical
Australian Tropical Cyclone Database
Bureau of Meteorology · 1906 – present

Best-track positions, intensity and category for the Australian region.

  • tracks
  • central pressure
  • max wind
  • category
Planned
Objective TC reanalysis
Bureau of Meteorology · 1981 – 2016

Consistent, research-grade intensity estimates for Australian cyclones.

  • track
  • intensity
  • position
Simulated
Coastal Data System – Waves (Townsville)
Queensland Government · 2013 – present

Wave buoy heights, periods, direction and sea surface temperature.

  • Hs
  • Hmax
  • Tz
  • Tp
  • direction
  • SST
Simulated
Townsville tide predictions
Queensland Government · Rolling predictions

Predicted interval and high/low water levels for storm surge context.

  • water level
  • high/low tides
Planned
SWIRLnet anemometer network
JCU Cyclone Testing Station · Event-based

Portable towers measuring near-ground winds during landfalling cyclones.

  • wind speed
  • gusts
  • direction