Cyclone Ernie (original) (raw)

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ernie was one of the quickest strengthening tropical cyclones onrecord. Ernie was the first Category 5 severe tropical cyclone in the Australian region since Cyclone Marcia in 2015, and also the strongest tropical cyclone in the Australian region since Cyclone Ita in 2014. Ernie developed from a tropical low into a cyclone south of Indonesia in the northeast Indian Ocean on 6 April 2017, and proceeded to intensify extremely rapidly to a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone. A few days later, on 10 April, the system was downgraded below cyclone intensity following a period of rapid weakening (though not nearly as rapid as its intensification), located southwest of its original position. Ernie had no known impacts on any land areas.