Tropical Cyclone Justin - Mar 1997

The monsoon trough was characterised at 2300 UTC 3 March by a series of MSL low pressure centres below 1000 hPa extending from northeast Australia across the Coral Sea and by 2300 UTC 5 March one centre had developed in the Coral Sea. This low intensified and was named Justin at 1900 UTC 6 March. Surrounding pressure rises over southeast Australia and over the PNG Highlands helped produce gale force winds over a large area. From 2300 UTC 7 March to 2300 UTC 9 March Justin moved only very slowly and reached peak intensity for this phase of its life at 1200 UTC 9 March. Justin continued to grow in size and by 2300 UTC 9 March gales extended from Cape Moreton (just NE of Brisbane) north to PNG waters. Between 2300 UTC 8 March and 2300 UTC 9 March large pressure rises over Indonesia contributed to increasing the pressure gradient over eastern PNG and this was the first period when widespread damage and loss of life occurred over PNG. (Govt. of Australia, 6 Mar 1997)

Cyclone Justin has been affecting Papua New Guinea. National Disaster and Emergency Services (NDES) of the Government confirms 8 deaths from incidents in various parts of the country with 24 missing. Between 1,000 and 1,500 houses have been destroyed and some 12,000 to 15,000 people have been made homeless, also at locations all around the country. (UN DHA, 14 Mar 1997)