Joy intensified as it approached Cairns and late on 22 Dec it developed a circular radar eye 50 km in diameter 200 km NE of Cairns. It then became slow moving and developed the concentric eye pattern of the very severe tropical cyclone.

The strongest winds at Cairns with gusts to 67 knots were recorded late on 23 Dec when Joy was 130 km NE of Cairns. An AWS on Green Island recorded a gust of 97 knots. The cyclone gradually lost intensity after 24 Dec and crossed the coast near Townsville as a much weaker system.

Destructive winds buffeted the Coasts and Tablelands between Cape Tribulation and Innisfail. There was structural damage to buildings however large economic losses resulted from damage to crops, road surfaces, power lines and water supplies.

On Boxing Day gales caused extensive damage to boats in the Whitsunday Group. Early on 27 Dec a tornado at Mackay demolished 2 houses, damaged another 40 and caused extensive damage in a seaside caravan park. 6 lives were lost, 5 were drowned in swollen rivers (1 at Bowen and 4 at Rockhampton) and a man drowned while surfing in cyclone generated seas at Mackay. Exceptional flood rains fell and over the period 23 Dec to 7 Jan and some stations in the Pioneer catchment received 2 metres of rain. Damage coast reached $62 (1990) million.

The map at the top left displays the impact area (marked by the black line) with the red line illustrating the path of the eye of the cyclone.

Cyclone Joy - Track and Intensity

Rockhampton Regional Council in partnership with the Queensland a…