Cyclone Errol (2025)

This article is about the 2025 Australian region tropical cyclone. For other storms of the same name, see List of storms named Errol.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Errol

Cyclone Errol on 16 April
Meteorological history
Formed	9 April 2025
Dissipated	18 April 2025
Category 5 severe tropical cyclone
10-minute sustained (BOM)
Highest winds	205 km/h (125 mph)
Lowest pressure	936 hPa (mbar); 27.64 inHg
Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds	260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure	919 hPa (mbar); 27.14 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	None
Damage	Minimal
Areas affected	Indonesia (Maluku) Western Australia (Kimberley)
Part of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season

Severe Tropical Cyclone Errol was a powerful tropical cyclone that impacted the Kimberley region of Western Australia in mid-April 2025, notably due to its extremely rapid intensification from a Category 2 to a Category 5 in less than 24 hours. The twenty-third tropical low, twelfth tropical cyclone, and eighth severe tropical cyclone of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season, Errol originated as a tropical low in the Arafura Sea, as a result of a burst of an equatorial Rossby wave.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

Map key

Saffir–Simpson scale

  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown

Storm type

Tropical cyclone

Subtropical cyclone

Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

An active burst of the equatorial Rossby wave led to the formation of a Tropical Low in the Arafura Sea on 9 April. The low, designated 29U by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), slowly moved south-westwards in the east Indian Ocean, as convection persisted near the system's circulation. The storm fluctuated from a tropical low to Category 1 between 12 April to 14 April. Starting late on 15 April, BoM would upgrade the system to a Category 1 and assign the name Errol. Over the next couple of days, Errol begun a period of explosive deepening; as Errol’s 1-minute sustained winds increased from 100 km/h (65 mph) to 260 km/h (160 mph) in 24 hours and 120 km/h (75 mph) to 220 km/h (140 mph) in 12 hours, and the JTWC described it as 'explosive and extreme rapid intensification'. Within 24 Hours, the storm rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian Scale, and also a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale .

Timelapse of Cyclone Errol explosively intensifying from Category 1 to Category 5 in less than 16 hours.

Early on 16 April, it reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 equivalent tropical cyclone with 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), according to JTWC, while the BOM estimated 10-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) which made it a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone, and displayed a pinhole eye. Originally, it was estimated as a high-end Category 4 severe tropical cyclone with peak winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) due to limitations of the Dvorak technique. However, some reports and publications indicated that the storm briefly reached Category 5 strength, making it the strongest cyclone of the month. Later on 16 April, Errol underwent a rapid eyewall replacement cycle and began to turn south towards Kimberley coast. On 17 April, as Errol took a sharp turn southeast-east, wind shear rapidly increased to 50 knots, causing Errol to rapidly weaken as it made landfall south of Kuri Bay on 18 April as a tropical low. After landfall, the BoM ceased advisories on the system as it fell below warning criteria.

Errol was the latest tropical cyclone to form or move into the Australian region since Tropical Cyclone Karim, which formed on 7th May 2022. Errol was the 12th Tropical Cyclone to form during the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season, making it the most active season since the 2005–06 season. As well the first non-below average season since 2018–19.

Preparations and impact

Western Australia

On 13 April the BoM issued a tropical cyclone warning for Kimberley Region with gale-force winds and potential heavy rainfall. It was predicted that Tropical Cyclone Errol will make landfall as a Category 1 or Tropical Low. Errol was the 12th Tropical Cyclone in the 2024-25 Australian Region season, and the 8th Severe Tropical Cyclone. It was the 4th Tropical Cyclone that ever made landfall, latest on the mainland since Tropical Cyclone Quang on 1 May 2015.

Errol was a small tropical cyclone that brought heavy rain to the Northern Kimberley coast including Derby and Kalumburu on 18 and 19 April. Heavy rainfall were felt parts of the coastal north Kimberley, with 69 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on 18 April recorded on Koolan Island. The storm crossed over Adele Island in the hours before crossing the mainland coast. The weather station recorded a peak wind gust up to 102 km/h. Kalumburu received 160.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9 am on 19 April. Errol is the latest tropical cyclone to form or move into the Australian region since Cyclone Karim which formed on 7 May 2022. However, as of May 2025, no major damages were reported as impacts were limited due to the cyclone's small size and remote location of landfall.

See also

• Tropical cyclones in 2025
• Weather of 2025
• 2024-25 Australian region cyclone season
• Cyclone Zelia (2025) - Another Category 5 cyclone on the same season
• Cyclone Glenda - A cyclone that took a similar track and similar intensity
• Cyclone Kelvin - A storm that took a similar path

External links

• World Meteorological Organization
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Fiji Meteorological Service
• New Zealand MetService
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center