Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry formed a month earlier. On April 19 and 20, Cyclone Monica crossed Cape York Peninsula with weaker winds than Larry, and its path in northern Queensland took it well away from most settled areas. However, the cyclone gathered size and power in the Gulf of Carpentaria and rebuilt into a Category 5 storm. Monica grazed across the top of the Northern Territory, threatening communities throughout Arnhem Land, Kakadu, and the city of Darwin with heavy rains and very high winds.
This image was acquired by the Aqua satellite on April 24, 2006, at 04:30 UTC (2:00 p.m. local time). Cyclone Monica at this time had sustained peak winds of roughly 285 kilometres per hour, and gusts reaching as high as 350 km/hr.
