Island Climate Update 76 - January 2007

Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action 2005-2015
Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters
The ongoing and increasing vulnerability of Pacific Island nations and communities to the impacts of disasters has led to increased national and regional commitments to disaster risk reduction and disaster management on an ‘all hazards’ basis in support of sustainable development.

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 76 – January 2007
December’s climate
Moderate El Niño persisted in the Southwest Pacific
Active Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) north of the equator
Suppressed convection over Tokelau and the Northern Cook Islands
Very low rainfall throughout much of New Caledonia
Warmer than normal in Tuvalu and much of French Polynesia, cooler in New Caledonia
El Niño/Southern Oscillati

Climate developments in December 2006
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for December 2006. (Click for enlargement and detail)
Weakly enhanced convection occurred in the Southwest Pacific during December, from the north of Vanuatu east to Northern Tonga, including parts of Fiji. A large region of suppressed convection existed in the east, particularly between Tokelau and the Northern Cook Islands, extending towards Northern French Polynesia. Convection was weakly suppressed over Papua New Guinea, and parts of the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

Tropical rainfall outlook: January to March 2007
Rainfall outlook map for January to March 2007.

Tropical cyclones
So far, only two named tropical cyclones have occurred in the Southwest Pacific this season; being ‘Xavier’ in October and ‘Yani’ in November, occurring over the seas between the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

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 produced by NIWA and made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), with a