Acknowledgements
This tropical cyclone information has been prepared as a collaborative effort between NIWA
and Meteorological Services around the Pacific. It has been prepared based on contributions
and climate information received from the Meteorological Services of Australia (Bureau of
Meteorology), Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua
New Guinea, New Zealand (Meteorological Service of NZ), Samoa, Solomon Islands Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu and in the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI).
Notes to editors
1. Summary of last tropical cyclone season
There were five tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific (east of 150 °E) during the 2007–
08 season, 4 less than the average (based on figures from the previous 30 years). The first
tropical cyclone of the season occurred on 13 November, slightly earlier than normal. The
season also finished unusually early with the last one in late January/early February. The
table below details the tropical cyclones during the 2007–08 season.
Name
Guba
Daman
Elisa
Funa
Gene
Origin
Period
Estimated maximum Classification
of occurrence sustained wind
speed (km/hr)
Papua New Guinea
NE of Rotuma, Fiji
SW of Nukualofa, Tonga
West of Northern Vanuatu
NE of Fiji
13-19 Nov.
139
5-9 Dec.
185 (925 hPa)
10-11 Jan.
93 (980hPa)
16-19 Jan.
176 (930hPa)
27 Jan – 1 Feb. 157 (945hPa)
Hurricane
Major hurricane
Tropical storm
Major hurricane
Major hurricane
2. Average and outlook for the full season: November to May
The following table shows the average number of tropical cyclones passing within 5º
(550 km circle) of the main island groups of the South Pacific over the full November
through May period. (Based on 37 seasons of data, and for tropical cyclones having mean
wind speeds over 34 knots*)
Area
Average over all Average over
years
neutral - weak La
Niña
Comment
seasons
Vanuatu
3.0
2.8
Average risk
New Caledonia
2.6
2.7
Average risk
Fiji
2.4
2.5
Average risk
Tonga
2.0
2.1
Average risk
Wallis & Futuna
1.9
1.8
Average risk
Niue
1.8
1.8
Average risk
Southern Cook Islands
1.5
1.3
Average risk
Tuvalu
1.2
1.1
Average risk
Northern New Zealand
0.9
1.0
Average risk
Tokelau
0.8
0.6
Average risk
Society Islands/Tahiti
0.8
0.6
Average risk
Samoa
1.6
1.3
Variable risk – uncertain
Solomon Islands
1.4
1.0
Average risk
Austral Islands
0.8
0.5
Average risk
Northern Cook Islands
0.8
0.4
Reduced risk
Tuamotu Islands
0.4
0.1
Reduced risk
Tuvalu
1.2
0.8
Reduced risk
Pitcairn Island
0.3
0.1
Cyclones unlikely
Marquesas
0.1
0.0
Cyclones unlikely
Western Kiribati
0.0
0.0
Cyclones unlikely
Eastern Kiribati
0.0
0.0
Cyclones unlikely
* For the South Pacific, a tropical cyclone is a tropical low-pressure system intense enough to
produce sustained gale force winds (at least 34 knots or 63 km/h). A “severe tropical
cyclone” produces sustained hurricane force winds (at least 64 knots or 118 km/h).
In the French language, the term “Cyclone tropical” refers to the hurricane phase (64 knots or
118 km per hour or more) but the Island Climate Update publication follows the English
language definition of “Tropical cyclone” as defined in the World Meteorological
Organisation Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South Pacific and South-East Indian
Ocean as follows “A non-frontal low pressure system of synoptic scale developing over
warm tropical waters and having a definite organised wind circulation with maximum 10minute average wind speed of 34 knots (63 km per hour i.e. gale force) or greater nearer the
centre”.
3. Average annual number of tropical cyclones, neutral-ENSO periods, from 1969–70 to
2007–08
4. Anomaly from the annual number of tropical cyclones, Nov-May periods, all seasons,
from 1969–70 to 2007–08