Island Climate Update 87 - December 2007

Information sources for a national database of historical tropical cyclone impacts: an example from the Cook Islands
Dr. Fes de Scally, University of British Columbia-Okanagan, Canada
A national database of historically occurring tropical cyclones and their impacts is an important tool for disaster planning and mitigation, and the recent completion of such a database in the Cook Islands can serve as a template for other Pacific Island nations. Many sources of written information were used which are scattered in libraries and repositories around the world.

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 87 – December 2007
November’s climate
Active South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) extends from Papua New Guinea to Niue; further west than normal
Tropical cyclone Guba brings high rainfall to Papua New Guinea; also wet in Vanuatu, Fiji, and Niue
Suppressed convection persists over Kiribati, extending to Tokelau and the Northern Cook Islands
Low rainfall over much of Kiribati, and the Northe

Climate developments in November 2007
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for November 2007. (Click for enlargement and detail)
The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was very active, extending from the monsoon trough over Papua New Guinea toward the Solomon Islands, the region north of Fiji, and then southeast over Niue. The SPCZ was displaced further west than normal for the time of year, and further south in the region east of the Date Line.

Tropical rainfall outlook: December 2007 to February 2008
Rainfall outlook map for December 2007 to February 2008.

Tropical Pacific rainfall - November 2007
Territory and station name
November 2007 rainfall
total (mm)
November 2007 percent
of average
Australia
Cairns Airport
77.4
80
Townsville Airport
121.6
199
Brisbane Airport
63.4
65
Sydney Airport
104.6
126
Cook Islands
Penrhyn
76.0
34
Rarotonga Airport
270.5
199
Rarotonga EWS
252.0
185
Fiji
Rotuma
435.3
154
Udu Point
334.0
164
Nadi Airport
325.2
246
Nausori
402.6
164
French Polynesia
Hiva Hoa, Atuona
40.4
63
Bora Bora
86.0
47
Tahiti – Faa’a
102.0
79
Tuamotu, Takaroa
57.6
27
Gambier,

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