Island Climate Update 99 - December 2008

Access to Pacific Islands Meteorological Data in the New Zealand National Climate Database
Errol Lewthwaite and Jim Salinger (NIWA)
The National Climate Database is an archive of climate data from New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Antarctica administered by NIWA. The database contains about 400 million data rows from about 6500 climate stations with some (New Zealand) data going back to the 1850’s.

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 99 – December 2008
November’s climate
The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was contracted towards Papua New Guinea and was displaced southwest of its normal position.
Very suppressed convection near Western Kiribati and northern Vanuatu, and south of the Equator from Nauru southeast to the Society Islands.
Above normal rainfall for many areas in the South Pacific, including a record hig

Climate developments in November 2008
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for November 2008. (Click for enlargement and detail)
The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) activity was weaker in November relative to last month. A consolidated region of enhanced rainfall was observed in satellite data during November 2008 over southern Papua New Guinea as well as over southeast Australia and southern New Caledonia.

Tropical rainfall and SST outlook: December 2008 to February 2009
Rainfall outlook map for December 2008 to February 2009. (Click for enlargement)
Sea surface temperature outlook map for December 2008 to February 2009. (Click for enlargement)
During the December 2008–February 2009 forecast period, a region of suppressed convection is likely to encompass the central and eastern Southwest Pacific, in a region extending from Western Kiribati to the Marquesas Islands, including Tuvalu, Tokelau, Wallis & Futuna, Samoa, the Northern Cook Islands, and the Tuamotu archipelago.

Tropical Pacific rainfall - November 2008
Territory and station name
November 2008 rainfall
total (mm)
November 2008 percent
of average
Australia
Cairns Airport
58
60
Townsville Airport
112
184
Brisbane Airport
327
337
Sydney Airport
73
88
Cook Islands
Penrhyn
135
60
Aitutaki
246
186
Rarotonga Airport
65
48
Fiji
Rotuma Island
114
40
Udu Point
117
57
Nadi Airport
208
158
Nausori
239
98
French Polynesia
Hiva Hoa, Atuona
78
82
Bora Bora
204
112
Tahiti – Faa’a
27
281
Tuamotu, Takaroa
160
76
Gambier, Rikitea
181
79
Tubuai
207

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