1989–90 Australian region cyclone season

The 1989–90 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season. It was also an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1989 to 30 April 1990. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" ran from 1 July 1989 to 30 June 1990.

Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane; and TCWC Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Tropical Storm 02S
Tropical Storm 02S existed from July 14 to July 16.

Tropical Cyclone Pedro
Tropical Cyclone Pedro existed from November 4 to November 13.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Felicity
On 13 December, the BoM started to monitor a monsoon low, that had developed within the Arafura Sea to the northeast of Darwin. Over the next day, the system moved southeastwards over the Northern Territory, before it re-curved slightly and entered the Gulf Of Carpentaria. Early on 15 December, the system was named Felicity by TCWC Brisbane, after it had become a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian Scale. During that day the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 07P, with peak 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). TCWC Brisbane subsequently reported peak 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph), before the system made landfall over the Cape York Peninsula where it weakened below cyclone intensity. The system subsequently moved into the Coral Sea during 16 December, where it started to rapidly deepen, but did not reattain the classical characteristics of a tropical cyclone. As a result, both TCWC Nadi and TCWC Brisbane treated the system as a tropical depression over the next four days despite winds of between 110 and 115 km/h being observed in the southwest quadrant. Felicity subsequently dissipated during 20 December as it was absorbed by a short-wave trough of low pressure to the north of New Zealand. Some minor damage to vegetation was recorded on the Cape York Peninsular.

Tropical Cyclone Rosita
Rosita, 4 to 17 January 1990, Indian Ocean

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sam
Sam, 11 to 21 January 1990, near Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Tina
Tina, 24 to 29 January 1990, crossed Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Nancy
On February 3, 1990, Cyclone Nancy made landfall near Byron Bay, bringing flashfloods that killed five people.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Vincent
Vincent, 25 February to 6 March 1990, near Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Greg
Greg, 28 February to 5 March 1990, Gulf of Carpentaria

Tropical Cyclone Walter-Gregoara
Walter, 3 to 27 March 1990, Indian Ocean

Tropical Cyclone Hilda
Cyclone Hilda had cloud tops estimated at 62,000 feet tall. The measured cloud top temperature was -152 °F, which is the coldest cloud-top temperature ever measured.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alex
Alex was a fairly intense system. It existed from 14 to 26 March 1990. Despite the intensity, Alex never caused significant damage.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ivor
Ivor, 14 to 26 March 1990, crossed Cape York, Queensland

Tropical Cyclone Bessi
Bessi, 11 to 18 April 1990, Indian Ocean