The 2001–02 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It officially started on 1 November 2001, and ended on 30 April 2002. However, the formation of Tropical Cyclone Alex on 26 October 2001 marked an earlier beginning to the season, and the season extended past the official end of the season when Tropical Cyclone Upia formed on 25 May 2002. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season"; the "tropical cyclone year" began on 1 July 2001 and ended on 30 June 2002. The scope of the Australian region is limited to all areas south of the equator, east of 90°E and west of 160°E. This area includes Australia, Papua New Guinea, western parts of the Solomon Islands, East Timor and southern parts of Indonesia. Tropical cyclones in this area are monitored by five Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane; TCWC Jakarta in Indonesia; and TCWC Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issues unofficial warnings for the region, designating tropical depressions with the "S" suffix when they form west of 135°E, and the "P" suffix when they form east of 135°E. Systems Tropical Cyclone Alex–Andre Tropical Cyclone Alex began on 24 October 2001 when the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted an area of convection developing southwest of Sumatra and north of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. On 25 October, the JTWC relocated the disturbance further west as it became better organised. The JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the tropical low later that day. On 26 October, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Perth issued a gale warning on the system, forecasting further development. Three hours later, TCWC Perth upgraded the low to Tropical Cyclone Alex northwest of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The JTWC followed suit, upgrading the low to tropical cyclone status in its first advisory. It moved slowly westward while upper-level wind shear prevented the storm from intensifying. However, late on 27 October, the storm's deep convection had become better organised and Perth raised Alex's peak winds to . Alex continued to move to the west-southwest, steered by a mid-level ridge to the southeast. Alex moved west of 90°E into La Réunion's area of responsibility early on 28 October and was renamed Severe Tropical Storm Andre by Mauritius. Alex-Andre