1989–90 South Pacific cyclone season

Tropical cyclone season August 2013 SPac 1990 1989-90 South Pacific cyclone season summary.png November 8, 1989 March 25, 1990 Ofa 925 100 10 11 5 2 11 > 187 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 1989–90 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 1989–90 Australian region cyclone season The 1989–90 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average season with only five tropical cyclones occurring within the South Pacific to the east of 160°E.An average season has nine tropical cyclones, about half of which become severe tropical cyclones. The season officially ran from November 1, 1989, to April 30, 1990, with the first disturbance of the season forming on November 8 and the last disturbance dissipating on March 19.TCWC Nadi warned on systems in the South Pacific which is located from the equator to 25°S and from 160°E to 120°W. TCWC Wellington warns on systems from 25°S to 40°S and from 160°E to 120°W This is the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form within the South Pacific Ocean. During the season at least 15 people were killed from tropical disturbances whilst overall damage was estimated at 196000000 $. The most damaging tropical disturbance was Cyclone Ofa, one of the strongest storms to affect Samoa in the 20th century, which caused at least 180000000 $ in damage to multiple countries and left eight dead. Cyclone Nancy caused 14000000 $ in damages to Queensland and NSW, Australia and killed four people. During the formative stages of Cyclone Peni, the system caused 1000000 $ in damages to the Cook Islands. Cyclone Rae drowned three people in Fiji but caused only 1000000 $ (1990 USD) of damages to crops and vegetation. As a result of the impacts caused by Ofa and Peni, the names were retired from the tropical cyclone naming lists. During the season, tropical cyclones were monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers (TCWC) in Nadi, Fiji, and in Wellington, New Zealand.TCWC Nadi warned on systems in the South Pacific located from the Equator to 25°S and from 160°E to 120°W. TCWC Wellington warns on systems from 25°S to 40°S and from 160°E to 120°W Whilst tropical cyclones that moved to the west of 160°E were monitored as a part of the Australian region. Both the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Naval Western Oceanography Center (NWOC) issued unofficial warnings within the southern Pacific. The JTWC issued warnings between 160°E and the International Date Line whilst the NWOC issued warnings for tropical cyclones forming between the International Date Line and the coasts of the Americas. Both the JTWC and the NWOC designated tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix with numbers assigned in order to tropical cyclones developing within the whole of the Southern Hemisphere. TCWC Nadi, TCWC Wellington and TCWC Brisbane all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate wind speeds over a ten-minute period, while the JTWC estimates sustained winds over a one-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). __TOC__ Seasonal summary Systems Tropical Depression Felicity SPac Felicity 1989-12-19 2100Z.png Felicity 1989 path.png December 19 (Entered basin) December 22 spdepression 40 40 990 On December 19, the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Felicity, moved into the basin with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph), which would have made it a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. However, because it did not have the "classical characteristics of a tropical cyclone", it was treated as a tropical depression by the BoM and the FMS.http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/felicity.shtml Tropical Cyclone Felicity Australian Bureau of Meteorology April 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120410174132/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/felicity.shtml April 10, 2012 live Singh, Arveen K Mariners Weather Log 34 3 Summer 1990 Tropical depression in Coral Sea (former T.C. Felicity), December 18–20, 1989 48 DeAngellis, Richard M 2027/uiug.30112104094245 Over the next couple of days, in response to an upper-level trough of low pressure weakening, the depression slowly weakened further, while accelerating to towards the southeast. Felicity was absorbed by a short-wave trough of low pressure to the north of New Zealand before it was last noted during December 22. Coral Sea Depression SPac January 20 January 25 Coral Sea TD 1990-01-23 0500Z.png Coral Sea TD 1990 path.png spdepression 45 992 On January 20, TCWC Nadi started to monitor a shallow area of low pressure that had developed within a trough of low pressure, about 600 mi km 5 on to the Northwest of Noumea in New Caledonia.Waqaicelua, Alipate Fiji Meteorological Service Mariners Weather Log Fall 1990 Coral Sea Depression United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Oceanographic Data Service 49 34 4 DeAngellis, Richard M 2027/uiug.30112104094252 The depression was last noted on January 25, as it moved below 25°S and into MetService's area of responsibility.1 Darwin Tropical Diagnostic Statement: January 1990 1990 Australian 09 2 1321-4233 Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199001.pdf Darwin Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre April 6, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017004938/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199001.pdf October 17, 2014 deadThe South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season 1989–90 Ready, Steve Woodcock, Frank 1992 40 Australian Meteorological Magazine 111–121 https://www.bom.gov.au/jshess/docs/1992/ready.pdf There were no reports of any damage associated with this depression within New Caledonia, which was largely due to its small and not so intense nature of the system. Severe Tropical Cyclone Ofa SPac Ofa 1990-02-04 0000Z.png Ofa 1990 path.png January 27 February 10 115 100 925 Cyclone Ofa On January 27, a shallow tropical depression formed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone, about 430 km mi 5 on to the southeast of Funafuti, Tuvalu.Fiji Meteorological Service Mariners Weather Log 34 3 Summer 1990 648466886 0025-3367 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Oceanographic Data Service DeAngellis, Richard M 23–25 Tropical Cyclone Ofa 2027/uiug.30112104094245 Over the next two days the system developed little and remained slow moving, near the Tuvaluan atoll of Funafuti. During January 30, the depression moved towards the north-east and started to organize, as pressures near the systems center rapidly falling. During the next day the system subsequently started to curve south-eastwards and away from Tuvalu, before the NWOC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 13P.Tropical Cyclone Ofa, January 31 - February 7, 1990 May 3, 1990 Fiji Meteorological Service Tropical Cyclone Report 90/4 Prasad, Rajendra May 12, 2014 February 22, 2014 http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/JB_DM393a_TC_Ofa_FMS_1990_Report.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140222011918/http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/JB_DM393a_TC_Ofa_FMS_1990_Report.pdf dead United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: 1990 http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1990atcr.pdf December 21, 2021 October 19, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161019075456/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1990atcr.pdf dead Late on January 31, TCWC Nadi named the tropical depression Ofa, after it had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Over the few days the system moved towards the south-southeast and intensified further. Ofa subsequently passed about 110 km mi 5 on to the west of the Western Samoan Island of Savai'i between 10:00 and 18:00 UTC during February 3. Early the next day as the system started to accelerate towards the south-southeast towards the island nation of Niue, the NWOC estimated that Ofa had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 215 km/h (130 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the SSHWS.United States Navy, United States Air Force Tropical Cyclone 13P (Ofa) best track analysis http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/best_tracks/1990/1990s-bsh/bsh131990.txt https://web.archive.org/web/20110606235536/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/best_tracks/1990/1990s-bsh/bsh131990.txt dead June 6, 2011 Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center Joint Typhoon Warning Center March 13, 2013 Later that day TCWC Nadi also estimated that the system had peaked with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph) as a category 4 severe tropical cyclone,. During February 5, the system passed about 55 km mi 5 on to the west of Niue, as it started to weaken and started to transition into an extratropical cyclone. The system completed this transition during February 8, before the remnants were last noted during February 10 after they had performed a small clockwise loop. Cyclone Ofa affected seven different island nations and caused gales or much stronger winds in six of those countries which resulted in damage ranging from moderate to very severe. Storm tide from the cyclone which is the combined effect of storm surge and high tide caused havoc in several countries and was the major cause of destruction. Overall the system killed at least eight people while it was estimated that the overall damage would amount to over 180000000 US$ with damage totals of at least 150000000 US$ and 30000000 US$ in Western and American Samoa. Tropical Cyclone Nancy SPac Nancy 1990-01-31 0400Z.png Nancy 1990 path.png January 31 (Entered basin) February 1 (Exited basin) 65 60 980 On January 31, the FMS reported that a tropical depression had moved south-eastwards into the basin from the Australian region and named it Nancy, after it had become a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.Koop, Neville L Tropical Cyclone Nancy, 27 January - 4 February May 3, 1990 https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4274123/FID1030/DATA/TROPIC/SWP_NAR/1990_4.NAR Fiji Meteorological Service 30 June 2022 November 28, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220630123635/https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4274123/FID1030/DATA/TROPIC/SWP_NAR/1990_4.NAR liveTropical Cyclone Nancy http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/nancy.shtml November 28, 2022 May 29, 2014 Australian Bureau of Meteorology https://web.archive.org/web/20140529084341/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/nancy.shtml live During that day, Nancy recurved south-westwards around the southern extension of an upper-level trough of low pressure and moved back into the Australian region. The system subsequently re-entered the basin as an extratropical cyclone on February 6, before it dissipated to the west of New Zealand on February 8.1990027S18156 1990 Tropical Cyclone Nancy (1990027S18156) International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship November 28, 2022 While the system was located within the basin, the FMS reported that the system had peaked as a category 1 tropical cyclone, with 10-minute sustained winds of 45 kn km/h mph on 5 out. The JTWC also monitored the system while it was in the basin and estimated that Nancy had peak 1-minute sustained winds of 65 kn km/h mph 5 on out, which made it equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the SSHWS. The BoM later reanalysed the system and found that it had peaked as a category 2 tropical cyclone, with 10-minute sustained winds of 60 kn km/h mph on 5 out while it was located within the basin. Samoa Depression SPac February 6 February 9 Samoa TD 1990-02-08 0200Z.png Samoa TD 1990 path.png spdepression 35 On February 6, the FMS reported that a depression had developed, within the South Pacific Convergence Zone near the islands of Tuvalu.Koop, Neville L Fiji Meteorological Service Mariners Weather Log: Volume 35, Issue 1: Winter 1991 1991 Samoa Depression 648466886 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Oceanographic Data Service 53 DeAngellis, Richard M 2027/uiug.30112104094104 0025-3367 Over the next few days the system was steered towards the southeast by a north-westerly steering flow on the eastern side of an upper-level trough of low pressure. As the depression moved towards the southeast it passed in between Western Samoa and the northern islands of Tonga before it came very close to Niue during February 8. Despite marginal gale-force winds being present in the depressions eastern quadrant, strong north-westerlies prevented the depression, from strengthening into a tropical cyclone. The depression was subsequently last noted during February 9, as it was absorbed into the Westerlies. The only damage that could be attributed to the depression is a number of houses that were destroyed on the Tuvaluan atoll of Vaitupu on February 6, however it is possible that the houses were destroyed by the strong and squally north-westerly winds that were prevailing over the northern islands of Tuvalu at that time. As Tuvalu, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue had all been affected by Cyclone Ofa a few days earlier; any damage would have been difficult to assess. Severe Tropical Cyclone Peni SPac Peni 1990-02-15 1801Z.png Peni 1990 path.png February 12 February 18 70 65 970 Cyclone PeniA shallow area of low-pressure began to develop near Rakahanga, an island in the Cook Island chain. The storm had also formed on the South Pacific convergence zone. The storm was first recognized on February 12, and had received tropical cyclone characteristics on the 13th. At 21:00 UTC, the storm was recognized as Tropical Cyclone Peni. The storm then took a path southwest towards the Cook Islands, Peni made a narrow turn and passed close to Aitutaki. Peni had gained hurricane status on the 15th, at 06:00 UTC. Peni had been able to keep hurricane characteristics until February 17, when it was downgraded to a storm, and soon, was declared extratropical. The name Peni was retired from the naming list. Tropical Cyclone Hilda SPac Hilda 1990-03-07 0400Z.png Hilda 1990 path.png March 7 (Entered basin) March 7 60 50 985 During March 7, Tropical Cyclone Hilda moved into the basin from the Australian region, as a category 2 tropical cyclone while it was located about 640 km mi 5 on to the northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia.Tropical Cyclone Report 90/2: Tropical Cyclone Hilda March 4 - 8, 1990 April 9, 1990 Fiji Meteorological Service Singh, M. Manoj During that day, the system passed about 640 km mi 5 on to the south-west of New Caledonia, as it moved south-southwestwards and degenerated into an extratropical depression. Over the next couple of days, the system moved through the Tasman Sea and passed near New Zealand's South Island, before it was absorbed into a high-latitude trough of low pressure. Tropical Depression Ivor SPac Ivor 1990-03-16 0100Z.png Ivor 1990 path.png March 14 March 16 (Exited basin) 15 30 995On March 15, the precursor shallow tropical depression to Cyclone Ivor developed within the South Pacific convergence zone, about 390 km mi 5 on to the northeast of Port Villa in Vanuatu.Severe Tropical Cyclone Ivor http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/ivor.shtml Australian Bureau of Meteorology April 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120410222344/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/ivor.shtml April 10, 2012 live Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Center During that day, the low moved towards the southwest and moved into the Australian region where it developed into Tropical Cyclone Ivor during March 16. Tropical Cyclone Rae SPac Rae 1990-03-23 0300Z.png Rae 1990 path.png March 16 March 24 40 50 985 During March 16, the FMS started to monitor a shallow tropical depression, that had developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone in between Vanuatu and Fiji.The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season 1989–90 Ready, Steve Woodcock, Frank 1992 40 Australian Meteorological Magazine 111–121 https://www.bom.gov.au/jshess/docs/1992/ready.pdfDarwin Tropical Diagnostic Statement: March 1990 1990 Australian Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199003.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061437/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199003.pdf March 4, 2016 dead Over the next couple of days, the system caused strong winds and heavy rain over the island nation of Tuvalu, as it slowly moved south-eastwards, before it passed around 60 nmi km mi 5 out on on to the east of Rotuma.Prasad, Rajendra Tropical Cyclone Rae, March 17–24 Fiji Meteorological Service https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4274123/FID1030/DATA/TROPIC/SWP_NAR/1990_12.NAR Tropical Cyclone Report 90/3 August 8, 2013 May 22, 2024 https://archive.today/20240522134906/https://www.webcitation.org/6GEFMkjo5?url=http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/virtcdlib/index.cgi/4274123/FID1/DATA/TROPIC/SWP_NAR/1990_12.NAR;1 live During March 19, Rae started to impact Fiji with heavy rain and strong winds as it slowed down and started to move south-westwards, before it passed around 40 nmi km mi 5 out on on to the west of the Yasawa Islands during March 20. The depression continued to move south-westwards for the next 30 hours, before it curved southwards as it started to intensify slowly. During March 22, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 26P, before the FMS named the system Rae later that day, after it had accelerated eastwards. The JTWC and the FMS both estimated during March 23, that the system had peaked with winds of 50 kn km/h mph 5 out on on, which made it a Category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian Scale.International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship 1990 Tropical Cyclone Rae (1990076S12165) 1990076S12165 December 27, 2021 At this time, the system was located about 225 km mi 5 on on to the south of Kadavu in Fiji and had started to move south-eastwards towards higher latitudes. Rae subsequently weakened as it experienced stronger vertical windshear and cooler sea surface temperatures, which caused the system to weaken and lose its tropical characteristics. The system degenerated into a depression during March 24, as it maintained its south-eastwards track, before it dissipated to the south of Niue during the next day. The system impacted Fiji between March 19 - 24, where it caused strong winds and landslides, as well as minor damage to trees, houses and crops. Torrential rain associated with the system helped to ease a drought and caused flooding to be reported across the archipelago.Flooding in the Fiji Islands between 1840 and 2009 37 Risk Frontiers Yeo, Stephen W October 1, 2010 December 27, 2021 Devi, Swastika McGree, Simon https://www.riskfrontiers.com/pdf/Floods%20in%20Fiji%201840-2009%20-%20Risk%20Frontiers%20final.pdf July 12, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200712040629/https://www.riskfrontiers.com/pdf/Floods%20in%20Fiji%201840-2009%20-%20Risk%20Frontiers%20final.pdf Within the island nation, the floods were responsible for three deaths in flooded rivers, as well as disruption to transport services, water and electricity supplies. Between March 23 - 24, Rae caused strong winds and high seas at the wave rider buoy at Tongatapu, Tonga, where waves of 6 m ft on on were recorded as the winds changed direction.The Wave Climate of the Kingdom of Tonga Barstow, Stephen Haug, Ola South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission https://prdrse4all.spc.int/system/files/TR0201.pdf December 27, 2021 Season effects This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific basin during the 1989–90 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damages. |- | 01 Cook Islands || 1108 November 8 – 10 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|000 Not Specified || bgcolor=#TD|999 Not Specified || Southern Cook Islands || || || |- | 02 Samoa || 1214 December 14 – 17 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|000 Not Specified || bgcolor=#TD|999 Not Specified || Samoan Islands || || || |- | 03 Felicity || 1214 December 19 – 22 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|075 75 km/h (45 mph) || bgcolor=#TD|990 990 hPa (29.24 inHg) || Norfolk Island || || || |- | 04 Coral Sea || 0120 January 20 – 25 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|40 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#TD|999 Not Specified || New Caledonia || None || None || |- | 06 Ofa || 0127 January 27 – February 10 || bgcolor=#A4|Category 4 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A4|100 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A4|925 925 hPa (27.32 inHg) || Polynesia || 187000000 $ || 8 || |- | 05 Nancy || 0131 January 31 – February 1 || bgcolor=#A2|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|60 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|980 hPa inHg on 4 || None || None || None || |- | 07 Samoa || 0206 February 6 – 9 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|35 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#TD|999 Not Specified || Polynesia || Unknown || None || |- | 08 Peni || 0314 February 12 – 18 || bgcolor=#A3|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|65 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|970 hPa inHg on 4 || Cook Islands || || || |- | 09 Hilda || 0212 March 7 – 9 || bgcolor=#A2|2 Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|50 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|985 985 hPa (29.10 inHg) || Tuvalu, Vanuatu, New Caledonia || || || |- | 10 Ivor || 0314 March 14 – 16 || bgcolor=#TD|Tropical Depression || bgcolor=#TD|000 Not Specified || bgcolor=#TD|999 Not Specified || None || None || None || |- | 11 Rae || 0316 March 16 – 25 || bgcolor=#A2|2 Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|50 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|985 hPa inHg 4 on || Tuvalu, Fiji, Tonga || 26200000 US$ || 3 || |- 11 systems November 8 – March 25 185 km/h (115 mph) 925 hPa (27.32 inHg) >187000000 $ 11 Notes A References 2 External links 1989 y 1980 South Pacific cyclone yes Category:South Pacific cyclone seasons Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines