Severe Tropical Cyclone Catastrophe Ita was the strongest tropical cyclone Catastrophe in the Australian region by central pressure , since George in 2007 , and since Monica in 2006 by wind speed .

On 10 April , Ita intensified Cause_change_of_strength rapidly into a powerful Category 5 system on the Australian Scale , but it weakened Cause_change_of_strength to a Category 4 system in the hours immediately preceding Process_start landfall the following day .

Ita 's impact Influence on terrain was lessened Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale , as a result Causation .