(This article is about the 2009 tropical cyclone; there was also a Cyclone Hamish during the 1998–99 Australian region cyclone season.) Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish was a very powerful tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to the Great Barrier Reef and coastal Queensland, Australia, in March 2009. The eighth named storm of the 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season, Hamish developed out of an area of low pressure on 4 March near the Cape York Peninsula. The storm rapidly developed into a Category 1 cyclone on the Australian intensity scale the next day. On 6 March, an eye developed and Hamish strengthened into a Category 3 cyclone. Deep convection formed around the eye, fuelling further intensification which allowed the storm to become a Category 5 tropical cyclone late on 7 Ma