Island Climate Update 74 - November 2006

The Pacific Hydrological Cycle Observing System
David Scott and Komal Raman, SOPAC
Figure 1. The regional HYCOS projects comprising the WHYCOS programme. Source: www.whycos.org
The announcement in June of the agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) regarding funding of the Pacific-HYCOS project represents the culmination of a long period of planning and advocacy for strengthening of the human and technical capacity of National Hydrological Services (NHSs) in Pacific Island Countries.

Climate developments in October 2006
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for October 2006. (Click for enlargement and detail)
During October, a large region of enhanced convection occurred about and west of the Date Line, affecting Nauru, parts of Western Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and Niue. Some of this convection was due to tropical cyclone Xavier, which tracked south between Vanuatu and Fiji. The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was near its normal location, with some enhancement west of the Date Line.

An overview of the present climate in the tropical South Pacific Islands, with an outlook for the coming months, to assist in dissemination of climate information in the Pacific region.
Number 74 – November 2006
October’s climate
‘Xavier’, an early tropical cyclone
Moderate El Niño underway in the Southwest Pacific
Enhanced convection about and west of the Date Line, and extremely wet in parts of Western Kiribati
Cooler and drier than normal in New Caledonia, dry also in Niue
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and seasonal rainfall forecasts
The tropica

Tropical rainfall outlook: November 2006 to January 2007
Rainfall outlook map for November 2006 to January 2007.

Tropical Pacific rainfall - October 2006
Territory and station name
October 2006 rainfall
total (mm)
October 2006 percent
of average
Australia
Cairns Airport
68.8
168
Townsville Airport
6.0
23
Brisbane Airport
9.0
10
Sydney Airport
16.2
21
Cook Islands
Penrhyn
191.0
110
Rarotonga Airport
30.7
30
Fiji
Rotuma
486
143
Udu Point
151
92
Nadi
119
117
Nausori
279
136
Ono-I-Lau
118
137
French Polynesia
Hiva Hoa, Atuona
61.4
63
Bora Bora Motu
130.2
129
Tahiti – Faa’a
135.4
133
Tuamotu, Takaroa
140.4
122
Gambier, Rikitea
164.8
123

Sources of South Pacific rainfall data
This bulletin is a multi-national project with important collaboration from the following Pacific nations:
American Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Island
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Requests for Pacific island climate data should be directed to the Meteorological Services concerned.
Acknowledgements
This bulletin is made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), Wellington, New Zealand, wi