Cyclone categories in Australia and why caravans go first

Trek Guide Australia's five cyclone categories by wind speed, how a Bureau watch differs from a warning, and what to do in a campervan or when flights are… By Laxman Rawal · Oct 4, 2026 Read the full story

Australia ranks tropical cyclones from Category 1 to 5 by their maximum mean wind speed: a Category 1 averages 63 to 88 km/h with gusts up to 125 km/h, and a Category 5 averages more than 200 km/h with gusts above 279 km/h. Even a Category 1 already damages… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The five Australian cyclone categories, explained

The Bureau grades cyclones by maximum mean wind speed and describes the damage each one does. Its own descriptions are blunt, and caravans appear in four of the five: The Bureau adds a warning of its own: the category "doesn't indicate the severity of other… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Why an Australian Category 1 is not a US hurricane

The two scales start at different speeds and measure the wind differently. Australia's Category 1 begins at a maximum mean wind of 63 km/h. The US Saffir-Simpson scale only starts at 119 km/h (74 mph), measured as a one-minute average, which is the point a… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Cyclone watch vs warning in Australia

A watch means the cyclone is expected to affect coastal communities within 48 hours but not within 24; a warning means it is affecting them or expected to within 24 hours. Before that, the Bureau issues an information bulletin when a cyclone is active in the… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Travelling by caravan or campervan in cyclone season

Leave the caravan park at the watch, not the warning. Every category from 1 to 4 lists caravan damage, and a vehicle you sleep in is no shelter from the wind or from flying debris. Know where the cyclone coast is. Cyclones develop over the tropical waters… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What a cyclone means for flights in Australia

Australia has no fixed delay payout, but if a cyclone means the airline cannot get you there in a reasonable time, the Australian Consumer Law can entitle you to a refund or a replacement flight. As our guide to Australian flight cancellation rights explains… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Our verdict

Do not be reassured by a low number. A Category 1 still damages caravans and can flood the roads you need, and the category says nothing about rain. Use the Bureau's watch as your cue to move, the state service's Watch and Act or Emergency Warning as your… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Frequently asked questions

A cyclone with a maximum mean wind of 63 to 88 km/h and gusts up to 125 km/h. The Bureau describes damaging winds, negligible house damage and damage to some crops, trees and caravans. A watch means a cyclone is expected to affect coastal communities within… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

What you can claim when there is no EU-style payout. How the US system works, and your refund rights. The US, Japan and Indonesia ladders, side by side. The UK Met Office colours and the impact matrix. Sources: Bureau of Meteorology, Tropical cyclone… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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