Island Climate Update 94 - July 2008

Feature article

Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone frequencies, 1977 – 2008.

Damage to a banana plantation in Vanuatu from tropical cyclone Funa. (Photo: David Gibson, Vanuatu Meteorological Service)

Tropical Cyclones in the Southwest Pacific Basin 2007-08
Jim Salinger, Jim Renwick, and Andrew Lorrey, NIWA
Southwest Pacific tropical cyclones in 2007–08
The 2007–08 Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone (TC) season had five occurrences east of 150°E, two less than the seasonal average (1976–77 to 2006–07).

July

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 94 – July 2008
June’s climate

The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) extended from Papua New Guinea, over northern Vanuatu, across Niue to the Austral Islands, and was displaced southwest of normal.
Very suppressed convection from Western Kiribati to Eastern Kiribati and about the Equator weakened.
Below normal rainfall for the northern part of French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and in part

Monthly climate

Climate developments in June 2008

Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for June 2008. (Click for enlargement and detail)

The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) extended southeast from Papua New Guinea to Fiji and Niue and across to the Southern Cook Islands and Austral Islands, with an overall displaced position southwest of normal. A region of suppressed convection that was persistent along the Equator during the austral spring and summer has contracted, but still extends from Western Kiribati to Eastern Kiribati including Tuvalu, Tokelau, and the Northern Cook Islands.

Three-month outlook

Tropical rainfall outlook: July to September 2008

Rainfall outlook map for July to September 2008. (Click for enlargement)

La Niña conditions have dissipated, but residual effects are still likely to have an influence on rainfall patterns during the July–September 2008 forecast period. A large region of suppressed convection is very likely in the southwest Pacific encompassing the Northern Cook Islands, Tuamotu, the Society Islands, the Austral Islands, and the Marquesas.

Tropical Pacific rainfall

Tropical Pacific rainfall - June 2008

Territory and station name
June 2008 rainfall
total (mm)
June 2008 percent
of average

Australia

Cairns Airport
19
39

Townsville Airport
1
4

Brisbane Airport
122
172

Sydney Airport
127
101

Cook Islands

Penrhyn
22
15

Aitutaki
64
68

Rarotonga Airport
35
31

Fiji

Rotuma Island
374
163

Udu Point
341
294

Nadi Airport
50
77

Nausori
362
240

French Polynesia

Hiva Hoa, Atuona
101
58

Bora Bora
70
76

Tahiti – Faa’a
123
193

Tuamotu, Takaroa
82
91

Gambier, Rikitea
136
84

Tubuai
92
79

Rapa
161
80

Data sources

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 produced by NIWA and made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), with addi

NIWA