1978–79 South Pacific cyclone season

Tropical cyclone season SPac 1979 1978-1979 South Pacific cyclone season summary.jpg December 27, 1978 April 1, 1979 Meli 945 85 10 8 6 official, 2 unofficial 3 56 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 1978–79 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 1978–79 Australian region cyclone season The 1978–79 South Pacific cyclone season ran year-round from July 1 to June 30. Tropical cyclone activity in the Southern Hemisphere reaches its peak from mid-February to early March. __TOC__ Summary Systems Tropical Cyclone Fay SPac Fay 1978-12-29 1815Z.png Fay 1978 track.png December 27 December 31 55 35 980 The precursor to Tropical Cyclone Fay can be traced back to an area of disturbed weather about 400 mi km on to the west of Tuvalu early on December 25.Tropical Cyclones in Fiji, November 1969 to April 1980. 1978-79 Cyclone Season Krishna R Fiji Meteorological Service October 1981 10–13 Nadi, Fiji As it moved southeastward, it intensified into a tropical cyclone by the next day, before moving close to Rotuma by December 28 and reaching peak intensity the following day.1978 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) FAY 1978359S04172 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 The cyclone then moved through Fiji, where sustained winds were pushing at 60 kn km/h mph on with hurricane-force wind gusts. Once through the islands, Fay accelerated southwards, and was last noted on December 31 as it was becoming extratropical northeast of New Zealand.DeAngelis Dick Hurricane Alley: Southern Hemisphere, November and December. Mariners Weather Log 23 2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 1979 https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ Weather stations at Undu Point and Savusavu recorded winds of 60 kn km/h mph on as Fay passed through Fiji. Some of the Lau Islands suffered coastal damage from storm surge. Severe Tropical Cyclone Gordon SPac Gordon 1979-01-06 0315Z.jpg Gordon SPac 1979 track.png January 3 January 9 (Exited basin) 70 75 965 Gordon was first tracked on January 3, when it was about 90 mi km on to the north-northeast of the island of Tokelau. As it moved in a general southwestward direction, it strengthened into a tropical cyclone by the next day, before becoming a severe tropical cyclone by January 6. Then, it crossed to the north of Vanuatu with winds of 70 kn km/h mph on, before weakening into a tropical cyclone by January 7. It later approached New Caledonia while continuing to weaken on January 8, before it turned to the west, and subsequently exited the basin on January 9.1979 Tropical Cyclone GORDON 1979002S04179 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 Severe damage was reported in Vanuatu.Tropical Cyclones in Vanuatu - 1847 to 1994 http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/VUT_TC_1847_1994.pdf Vanuatu Meteorological Service Port Vila, Vanuatu May 19, 1994 July 24, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724001104/http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/VUT_TC_1847_1994.pdf July 28, 2024 Tropical Cyclone Henry SPac Henry 1979-02-02 0115Z.jpg Henry 1979 track.png January 29 February 5 55 50 980 Forming to the north of Vanuatu on January 29, Henry strengthened into a tropical cyclone on January 31, and took a southward track before becoming an extratropical cyclone and moving over New Zealand by February 4.1979 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) HENRY 1979027S15167 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 It had little affect to land areas in Vanuatu. Tropical Cyclone Judith SPac Judith 1979-02-05 0015Z.jpg 11P 1979 track.png February 3 February 6 40 40 988 Originating in the Australian region, Judith became a tropical cyclone as it moved close to Vanuatu, before turning west and re-entering the region by February 6.DeAngelis Dick Hurricane Alley: Australia - South Pacific, January and February 1979. Mariners Weather Log 23 3 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 1979 https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ1979 Tropical Cyclone UNNAMED 1979033S18151 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 Like Henry, it also had little affect to land areas in Vanuatu. Severe Tropical Cyclone Kerry SPac Kerry 1979-02-14 0533Z.png Kerry 1979 track.png February 13 February 15 (Exited basin) 75 85 978 Kerry's origins can be traced back to a low that became evident about 485 mi km to the southeast of Kiribati on February 7. By February 10, some cyclonic curvature could be detected in the surrounding convection, and by February 13, it had strengthened into a category 1 tropical cyclone. Moving generally west-southwest, it further strengthened into a category 2 tropical cyclone by 17:00 UTC on the same day, before fully becoming a severe tropical cyclone by February 14.Severe Tropical Cyclone Kerry http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/kerry79.shtml Australian Bureau of Meteorology July 28, 20241979 Severe Tropical Cyclone KERRY 1979042S05170 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 As it moved closer near the Solomon Islands, it lashed Ulawa and neighboring islands, turning southwest and missing Makira and Guadalcanal, before skirting near Bellona.Radford, Deirdre A The Australian International Development Assistance Bureau Natural Disasters in the Solomon Islands May 2, 2014 Blong, Russell J 2 1 1992 96–101 dead http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/SLB_Nat_Disasters_v1_1992_s.pdf.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140502075901/http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/SLB_Nat_Disasters_v1_1992_s.pdf.pdf July 28, 2024 The cyclone then subsequently exited the basin and into the Australian region on February 15. Severe damage was reported over the Solomon Islands, with monetary damages of SI$200 thousand. Over 22,000 people were homeless after the cyclone. 4 people were reported dead. Tropical Cyclone Leslie SPac Leslie 1979-02-21 2345Z.png Leslie 1979 track.png February 21 February 23 40 55 980 Forming to the south of Samoa on February 21, Leslie intensified into a category 2 tropical cyclone while rapidly moving southeastward. After crossing the 30th parallel south, Leslie became extratropical.1979 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) LESLIE 1979051S16187 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 29, 2024 There were no reports of damage associated with the storm. Severe Tropical Cyclone Meli SPac Meli 1979-03-27 0515Z (Colored).png Meli 1979 track.png March 24 March 31 85 115 945 Cyclone Meli first developed as a tropical depression between Fiji and Futuna on March 23. It moved east then southeast while it strengthened into a tropical cyclone, before turning to the west by March 26 as it developed an eye.1979 Tropical Cyclone MELI 1979083S15184 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 29, 2024 It moved through Fiji throughout March 26 into 27, passing north of Lakeba and very close to Nayau, then passing very close to Suva at around 09:00 UTC on March 27. Once Meli cleared Fiji, it recurved to the southeast and weakened, and by March 30, Meli had reportedly weakened to a gale-force cyclone and was turning extratropical.DeAngelis Dick Hurricane Alley: Southern Hemisphere, March and April 1979. Mariners Weather Log 23 4 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 1979 https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ Meli had previously passed through Tuvalu, damaging Funafuti atoll.July 2024 Meli then caused severe damage over the islands of Moala, Kadavu, Ono, and the central parts of the Lau Group. The island of Nayau suffered a direct hit from Meli. As a result, Fiji suffered tremendous crop losses.http://gns.cri.nz/services/hazardsplanning/downloads/SR2006-038trad_mitigation_pacific.pdf Archived copy gns.cri.nz 12 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20100605010519/http://gns.cri.nz/services/hazardsplanning/downloads/SR2006-038trad_mitigation_pacific.pdf 5 June 2010 dead At least 11 ships were lost or damaged during the storm, with one of the ships being the Korean fishing vessel NAM HAE 202 with 20 crewmen onboard. A freighter also ran aground off the northwest coast of Vatulele after departing from Suva late on March 27 to ride out the storm. 52 people were killed by the storm, with 31 in Kadavu, and 14 in Nayau. A man and a young woman drowned after their yacht capsized under 90 kn km/h mph on winds. Tropical Cyclone Nina SPac Nina 1979-04-01 0245Z.png 23P 1979 track.png March 30 April 3 40 35 994 Tropical Cyclone Nina formed near Vanuatu on March 31, and took a curving track to the southeast, dissipating near Tonga by April 3.DeAngelis Dick Hurricane Alley: Global Tropical Cyclones, March and April 1979. Mariners Weather Log 24 3 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May–June 1980 https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ1979 Tropical Cyclone (Gale) UNNAMED 1979090S12168 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) July 28, 2024 There were no particular damage reports associated with the storm. Seasonal effects |- | Fay || 19781227 December 27 – 31 || bgcolor=#A2|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|55 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|980 hPa inHg 4 on || Fiji || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Gordon || 19790103 January 3 – 9 || bgcolor=#A3|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|70 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|965 hPa inHg 4 on || Vanuatu, New Caledonia || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Henry || 19790129 January 29 – February 5 || bgcolor=#A2|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|55 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|980 hPa inHg 4 on || Vanuatu, New Zealand || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Judith || 0114 February 3 – 6 || bgcolor=#A1|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A1|40 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A1|988 hPa inHg 4 on || Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Kerry || 0213 February 13 – 15 || bgcolor=#A3|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|75 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|978 hPa inHg 4 on || Solomon Islands || || 4 || |- | Leslie || 0221 February 21 – 23 || bgcolor=#A2|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|55 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|980 hPa inHg 4 on || Tonga || None || None || |- | Meli || 0324 March 24 – 30 || bgcolor=#A3|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|85 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|945 hPa inHg 4 on || Tuvalu, Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji || Unknown || 52 || |- | Nina || 0330 March 30 – April 1 || bgcolor=#A1|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A1|40 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A1|994 hPa inHg 4 on || Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tonga || None || None || |- 8 systems December 27, 1978 – April 1, 1979 85 kn km/h mph 5 out on on 945 hPa inHg 4 on 56 See also Tropical cyclones in 1978 Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1978, 1979 Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1978, 1979 Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1978, 1979 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1978, 1979 References External links 1970 South Pacific cyclone yes 1978 y Category:South Pacific cyclone seasons