1984–85 South Pacific cyclone season

Tropical cyclone season SPac 1985 1984-1985 South Pacific cyclone season summary.png December 26, 1984 March 20, 1985 Hina 910 120 10 9, 1 unofficial 9, 1 unofficial 5 37 > 40 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 1984–85 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 1984–85 Australian region cyclone season The 1984–85 South Pacific cyclone season was an above-average tropical cyclone season, with nine tropical cyclones occurring within the basin between 160°E and 120°W. The season ran from November 1, 1984, to April 30, 1985, with tropical cyclones officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and NOAA also monitored the basin during the season. During the season there was nine tropical cyclones occurring within the basin, including three that moved into the basin from the Australian region. The BoM, MetService and RSMC Nadi all estimated sustained wind speeds over a period of 10-minutes, which are subsequently compared to the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). __TOC__ Seasonal summary During November and December no significant tropical cyclones developed in or moved into the basin in the region, The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Pierre were last noted during 24 February, as they moved into the basin from the Australian region.Australian Bureau of Meteorology 14 December 2022 http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/pierre85.shtml 5 July 2022 Tropical Cyclone Pierre live https://web.archive.org/web/20220705100734/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/pierre85.shtml1985 Tropical Cyclone Pierre (1985049S12143) International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship 1985049S12143 14 December 2022 Systems Unnamed tropical cyclone SPac 07P Dec 28 1984 0404Z.png 07P 1984 path.png December 26 December 28 987 45 45 An unnamed tropical system developed on December 26 and subsequently dissipated on December 28. Tropical Cyclone Monica SPac Monica Dec 29 1984 0331Z.png Monica 1984 path.png December 28 (Entered basin) December 29 975 60 55 Tropical Cyclone Monica existed from December 29 to December 30. Tropical Cyclone Drena SPac Drena Jan 12 1985 0243Z.png Drena 1985 path.png January 9 January 16 987 45 50 Tropical Cyclone Drena existed from January 9 to January 16. Severe Tropical Cyclone Eric SPac Eric 1985-01-16 2245Z.png Eric 1985 path.png January 13 January 20 955 80 100 Cyclone Eric On January 13, TCWC Nadi started to monitor a shallow depression that had developed within the monsoon trough about 450 mi km flip 5 on to the west of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.Mariners Weather Log: Volume 29: Issue 3: Summer 1985 Hurricane Alley: Tropical Cyclones — January 1985 1985 170–174 0025-3367 DeAngellis, Richard M United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 648466886 Over the next day the system moved eastwards and developed further as gale-force winds developed near the systems centre before the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 11P during January 14.Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: 1985 United States Navy, United States Air Force http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1985atcr.pdf Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center Joint Typhoon Warning Center October 28, 2014 1986 September 25, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180925075442/https://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1985atcr.pdf dead The system was subsequently named Eric by TCWC Nadi as it moved closer to Espiritu Santo and became equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone.1985012S16161 International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship 1985 Tropical Cyclone Eric (1985012S16161) April 18, 2025 During January 15, Eric passed near or over Espiritu Santo, as it continued to intensify before it turned and accelerated south-eastwards. Eric subsequently became equivalent to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone early the next day, before an Air Pacific flight from Fiji to the Solomon Islands located the systems eye on radar. During January 17, Eric's well defined eye came into the range of Nadi airports surveillance radar, before TCWC Nadi estimated that Eric had peaked with 10-minute sustained wind-speeds of 150 km/h (90 mph). During that day Eric's eye seemed to contract to around 10 mi km flip 5 on as it made passed through Fiji's Western Division and made landfall on the Fijian main island of Viti Levu about 5 mi km flip 5 on to the south of Nadi. After the system had made landfall, the JTWC estimated that Eric had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the SSHWS.The system subsequently passed near or over Fiji's capital: Suva before emerging into the Korro Sea and weakening. Eric subsequently passed through the Tonga's Ha'apai islands just to the south of Nomuka during January 18, before it gradually weakened and was last noted during January 20, over 1800 km mi 5 on to the south of Papeete, French Polynesia. Severe Tropical Cyclone Nigel SPac Nigel Jan 19 1985 0310Z.png Nigel 1985 path.png January 16 (Entered basin) January 28 955 80 105 Cyclone Nigel Late on January 16, Tropical Cyclone Nigel moved into the South Pacific basin from the Australian region. During the next day the system continued to move eastwards and developed an eye, before it became equivalent to a modern-day category 3 severe tropical cyclone. Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette SPac Odette Jan 19 1985 1726Z.png Odette 1985 path.png January 19 (Entered basin) January 21 936 90 90 At approximately 1300 UTC on January 19, Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette crossed into the South Pacific Basin from the Australian region. Severe Tropical Cyclone Freda SPac Freda Jan 28 1985 0131Z.png Freda 1985 path.png January 25 January 30 955 80 80 During January 26, the FMS reported that a depression was located within the vicinity of the Southern Cook Islands about 150 km mi 5 on to the west-northwest of the island of Aitutaki. Tropical Cyclone Gavin Cyclone Gavin (1985) SPac Gavin Mar 7 1985 0000Z.png Gavin 1985 path.png March 2 March 8 985 50 55 During March 2, the Fiji Meteorological Service reported that a tropical depression had developed within a monsoon trough, in between Espiritu Santo and Rotuma about 450 km mi 5 on to the northwest of Fiji.Prasad, Rajendra Preliminary Report: Tropical Cyclone Gavin Fiji Meteorological Service April 11, 1985Cyclone Season: 1984 - 1985 Vanuatu Meteorological Department September 1985 Over the next couple of days, the system gradually developed further as it moved southwards, while moderate to strong winds were recorded in Vanuatu's southern islands of Aneityum and Tanna. During March 4, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center initiated advisories on the depression and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 27P, while the system was located about 300 km mi 5 on to the northeast of Port Vila in Vanuatu.1985062S15170 1985 Tropical Cyclone Gavin (1985062S15170) International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship January 2, 2021 Later that day the FMS named the system Gavin, after it had become equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the modern day Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. At this time, Gavin was estimated to have an unusually large area of gale-force winds, with winds extending out to about 550 km mi 5 on in its northern semicircle and 280 km mi 5 on in its southern semicircle. During March 5, the system intensified slightly and attained storm-force winds as it moved south-eastwards, before the FMS reported that Gavin had peaked as a category 2 tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained winds of 95 km/h (60 mph). Over the next couple of days, as the system moved south-eastwards brushed Fiji, there were no significant changes in Gavin's intensity, however, the wider area of gales moved into the system's semicircle. During March 7, the JTWC reported that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 100 km/h (65 mph), before Gavin started to weaken and lose its tropical characteristics, as it accelerated south-eastwards towards higher latitudes. Later that day, the FMS handed the primary warning responsibility for the system to the New Zealand Meteorological Service (NZMS), after Gavin had moved out of their area of responsibility. During March 8, the NZMS reported that the system had become an extratropical depression after it had lost most of its tropical characteristics, before it was last noted during the following day, while it was located about 2100 km mi 5 on to the southeast of Wellington in New Zealand. Severe Tropical Cyclone Hina SPac Hina Mar 16 1985 0319Z.png Hina 1985 path.png March 11 March 20 910 120 135 Hina was one of the most intense tropical cyclones recorded in the South Pacific basin. Featuring well-defined rainbands, strong upper-level outflow, low vertical wind shear, and exceptionally warm sea-surface temperatures, Hina underwent a period of explosive deepening, characterized by rapid intensification. The cyclone continued tracking southward before encountering increasingly unfavorable environmental conditions and undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, which contributed to its weakening into a tropical storm. As its circulation became increasingly disorganized and the center lost definition, Hina eventually weakened below tropical-storm intensity and became a tropical depression. Its remaining circulation subsequently dissipated. Other system According to the JTWC, Tropical Depression 08P formed on 26 December. On 28 December, 08P reached tropical storm status, and would later dissipate south of Fiji. Season effects This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific basin during the 1984–85 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damages. |- | 01 Unnamed || 1226 December 26–28 || bgcolor=#A1|1 Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A1|45 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A1|987 hPa inHg 4 on on || || 00 None || 00 None || |- | 02 Monica || 1229 December 28 – January 3 || bgcolor=#A2|2 Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|60 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|975 hPa inHg 4 on on || New Caledonia || 00 None || 00 None || |- | 03 Drena || 0109 January 9–16 || bgcolor=#A1|1 Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A1|45 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A1|987 hPa inHg 4 on on || || || || |- | 04 Eric || 0109 January 14–20 || bgcolor=#A3|3 Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|80 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|955 hPa inHg 4 on on || Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga || rowspan=2|40000000 || rowspan=2|27 27 ||rowspan=2|Summary of Major Disasters in Fiji 1985 – March 2010 http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/FJI_NDMO_2010_disaster_summry.pdf Fiji National disaster management office 2012-09-10 2010-10-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075616/http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/FJI_NDMO_2010_disaster_summry.pdf 2016-03-04 dead |- | 05 Nigel || 0116 January 16–28 || bgcolor=#A3|3 Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|40 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|955 hPa inHg 4 on on || Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga |- | 06 Odette || 0119 January 19–21 || bgcolor=#A3|3 Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|90 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|960 hPa inHg 4 on on || Vanuatu || Minor || 00 None || |- | 07 Freda || 0126 January 25–30 || bgcolor=#A3|3 Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A3|80 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A3|955 hPa inHg 4 on on || || || || |- | 09 Gavin || 0507 March 2–9 || bgcolor=#A2|3 Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A2|50 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A2|985 hPa inHg 4 on on || Vanuatu, Fiji || || 7 || |- | 10 Hina || 0103 March 11–20 || bgcolor=#A5|5 Category 5 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#A5|120 kn km/h mph 5 out on on || bgcolor=#A5|910 hPa inHg 4 on on || Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji || || 3 || |- 9 systems December 26 – March 20 120 kn km/h mph 5 out on on 910 hPa inHg 4 on $40000000 37 See also Weather of 1985 Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1984, 1985 Pacific hurricane seasons: 1984, 1985 Pacific typhoon seasons: 1984, 1985 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1984, 1985 1984–85 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 1984–85 Australian region cyclone season References 2 External links 1984 y 1980 South Pacific cyclone yes Category:South Pacific cyclone seasons Category:Tropical cyclones in 1984 Category:Tropical cyclones in 1985