The first named storm of the season developed as a small depression out over the open waters of the southern Indian Ocean.

Cyclone Selma was predicted to impact Darwin, but instead, the system turned westward out to sea and eventually dissipated over open water.

It is the most compact cyclone or equivalent-strength hurricane on record in the Australian basin, with gale-force winds extending only 48 kilometres (30 mi) from the centre and was the most compact system worldwide until Tropical Storm Marco of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season broke the record, with gale-force winds extending only 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the centre.

[6][7] Tracy left more than 41,000 out of the 47,000 inhabitants of the city homeless prior to landfall and required the evacuation of over 30,000 people.

[8] Most of Darwin's population was evacuated to Adelaide, Whyalla, Alice Springs and Sydney, and many never returned to the city.

Bruce Stannard of The Age stated that Cyclone Tracy was a "disaster of the first magnitude ... without parallel in Australia's history.

[13] Tropical cyclone Beverley affected Exmouth, Western Australia and the west coast in March 1975.

During 19 November, a tropical disturbance was first noted, while it was located within the Australian region about 500 km (310 mi) to the north of Brisbane, Australia.