Island Climate Update 71 - August 2006

South Pacific Sea level and Climate Monitoring Project
Philip Hall, SPSCLCMP & Mary Power, SOPAC
The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project (SPSLCMP) commenced in 1991 with the primary goal of generating an accurate record of variance in long-term sea level for the South Pacific and to establish methods to make these data readily available and usable by Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

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 71 – August 2006
July’s climate
South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) located near the Solomon Islands
High rainfall in the Southern Cook Islands and parts of southern French Polynesia
Low rainfall persists throughout New Caledonia
Temperature: above average in Tuvalu, and parts of central and southern French Polynesia; below average in New Caledonia and parts of Fiji
El Niño/Southern

Climate developments in July 2006
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for July 2006. (Click for enlargement and detail)
During July, the SPCZ was weaker than average, with most of its activity being near the Solomon Islands. The SPCZ was fairly inactive east of the Date Line. There were weak regions of enhanced convection between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, and also near the Southern Cook Islands.

Tropical rainfall outlook: August to October 2006
Rainfall outlook map for August to October 2006.

Tropical pacific rainfall - July 2006
Territory and station name
July 2006 rainfall
total (mm)
July 2006 percent
of average
Australia
Cairns Airport
42.6
147
Townsville Airport
15.8
113
Brisbane Airport
26.8
43
Sydney Airport
124.0
98
Cook Islands
Rarotonga Airport
335.1
322
Penrhyn
103.4
74
Fiji
Rotuma
189.7
95
Udu Point
81.2
91
Nadi
35.3
78
Nausori
80.4
68
Ono-I-Lau
64.6
70
French Polynesia
Hiva Hoa, Atuona
149.0
96
Bora Bora Motu
151.2
202
Tahiti – Faa’a
160.8
303
Tuamotu, Takaroa
119.2
145
Gambier, Rikitea
102.2
66

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 made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), Wellington, New Zealand, wi