High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Severe Tropical Cyclone John was an intense tropical cyclone that rapidly intensified offshore before affecting areas of Western Australia. The system was the second cyclone and first severe tropical cyclone of the active 1999–00 South Pacific cyclone season. Cyclone John developed from a monsoon trough positioned northwest of Australia on 9 December 1999. As it moved to the west and later south as the result of a subtropical ridge under favorable conditions, the cyclone was able to rapidly intensify. John reached peak intensity on 14 December as a Category 5 cyclone on the Australian cyclone scale, the highest rating possible. Cyclone John later began interacting with a mid–latitude trough, which slightly weakened the cyclone prior to making landfall near Whim Creek early on 15 December. Increasingly unfavorable conditions further inland resulted in the cyclone`s rapid weakening, before dissipating the next day on 16 December.