Island Climate Update 79 - April 2007

April

Monthly climate

Tropical Pacific rainfall

Three-month outlook

Feature article

Data sources

In this issue

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    April

    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 79 – April 2007
    March’s climate
    South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) near its normal location,, with enhanced convection from the region south of the Solomon Islands east to central and southern French Polynesia.
    Extremely wet in Niue, and very high rainfall in the Southern Cook Islands and parts of Fiji and Tonga
    Suppressed convection affecting Nauru, the Northern Cook Islands and parts of
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    Feature article

    Drought in New Caledonia
    Luc Maitrepierre, Meteo-France, Noumea, New Caledonia
    Rainfall Assessment in New Caledonia from June 2006 to February 2007
      Percentage of rainfall average.(Click for enlargement)
    Rainfall monthly anomalies recorded in New Caledonia. (Click for enlargement)
    A very low amount of rainfall was recorded in New Caledonia from June 2006 to February 2007, linked with the El Niño event that ended by February 2007.
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    Monthly climate

    Climate developments in March 2007
      Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for March 2007. (Click for enlargement and detail)
    The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was located near its normal location in March, with enhanced convection extending from the region south of the Solomon Islands east across Fiji and Samoa to central and southern French Polynesia, including Tonga, Niue, and the Southern Cook Islands. A double Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) pattern existed in March, both north and south of the Equator.
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    Three-month outlook

    Tropical rainfall outlook: April to June 2007
      Rainfall outlook map for April to June 2007.
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    Tropical Pacific rainfall

    Tropical cyclones
    Tropical cyclone Becky occurred from 26–29 March, the first named tropical cyclone since Arthur (24–26 January), and the fifth named tropical cyclone this season. Tropical cyclone Becky developed in the Coral Sea south of the Solomon Islands, and tracked southeast toward Vanuatu, and later toward the region southeast of New Caledonia (with estimated maximum sustained wind speeds over the sea being 130 km/h with gusts to 160 km/h).
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    Data sources

    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 addi