Feature article
The Southwest Pacific Climate in 2003
Stuart Burgess and Dr Jim Salinger, NIWA
The 2002/03 El Niño event, although decaying, had a significant impact in the Southwest Pacific. The event commenced in May 2002, had weakened by January 2003, and dissipated by April (Fig.1).This had a noticeable impact on the Southwest Pacific rainfall anomalies at the beginning of the year with above average rainfall over Eastern and Western Kiribati until it dissipated in April, and below average rainfall over much of New Caledonia and Fiji during the first few months of 2003.