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Tropical Cyclone Sean Hits Western Australia, Breaking Rainfall Records and Causing Damage.

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By Surendra Uikey

 



On January 17, 2025, a tropical low formed over the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. By January 19, the system had intensified into Tropical Cyclone Sean, marking the second tropical cyclone of Australia’s 2024–2025 season.


NASA’s Terra satellite, using the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument, captured a detailed image of the storm at around 10 a.m. local time (02:00 Universal Time) on January 20, 2025. Later that same day, Cyclone Sean reached its peak strength as a Category 4 storm.


Despite staying offshore and not making landfall, Cyclone Sean still brought significant impacts to the Pilbara coast. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported that Karratha, a coastal city in the region, received a staggering 274.4 millimeters (10.8 inches) of rain in just 24 hours, setting a new single-day rainfall record for the city.


The powerful storm caused widespread flooding, with roads submerged, homes affected, and power infrastructure damaged. Several ports were closed due to the extreme weather conditions. However, the storm also offered some positive effects. According to news reports, the heavy rains brought relief from the ongoing hot and humid conditions and may benefit the local agricultural community, especially cattle station managers, who could use the moisture to return livestock to grazing areas.


Australia’s tropical cyclone season runs from November to April, although storms can occur outside this period. The BoM’s forecast for the 2024–2025 season predicted an average number of cyclones, but many are expected to be stronger than usual, driven by warmer sea surface temperatures in the region.


This event underscores the unpredictable nature of the tropical cyclone season, with storms like Sean both challenging and offering some unexpected benefits to the affected communities.


NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.



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