The intensity of Tropical Cyclone Kelvin after making landfall over north western Australia is investigated. After tracking over land as a low during February 2018, Kelvin intensified as it moved south-west over the ocean off Broome. It then made an abrupt turn to the east and intensified to a category 3 cyclone when it made landfall on the morning of 18 February 2018, and developed an eye which was maintained for at least 15 h over land.

Northern Australia is believed to be a region where soil conditions can become hot and wet enough to provide sufficient surface heat fluxes to maintain or even intensify landfalling TCs. During January 2018, in the weeks prior to TC Kelvin tracking across the region, Western Australia experienced record rainfall (110 % above average), including the highest daily rainfall in 17 years (> 400 mm) on 30^th January in the area surrounding Broome. In this study we investigate the influence of this possible “brown ocean” on the intensity of TC Kelvin after landfall in the context of similar landfalling TCs over Western Australia. Ocean and land surface heat fluxes, soil conditions and atmospheric moisture conditions will be studied prior to and during TC Kelvin’s inland track and compared to other TCs that exhibited similar tracks between 1988 and 2018 to determine if the “brown ocean” effect contributed to TC Kelvin’s over land maintenance.