After intensifying into a powerful Category 4 cyclone (Category 5 on the Australian scale) in the Coral Sea, Narelle made landfall on the east coast of Queensland, before continuing on across the Northern Territory, and turning south to make landfall yet again in Western Australia. Along the way, Narelle brought gusty winds and heavy rains to all three regions. Narelle first began as a westward-moving area of low pressure south of the Solomon Islands. Warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), weakening wind shear, and persistent convective activity allowed the circulation to organize such that the