Monthly climate

An extensive region of enhanced convection in the western-central tropical Pacific

Enhanced convection affected a wide area of the western-central tropical Pacific in August. This covered much of the region between 20°N and 15°S and 160°E and 170°W, enhancing rainfall from Micronesia across to Hawaii, Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu. Extremely high August rainfall (300-500% of average) was recorded throughout much of Western Kiribati. Rainfall was at least 125% average in Tuvalu, parts of northern and central New Caledonia, northern and eastern Fiji, Tonga, and the Maequesas Islands of northern French Polynesia. The SPCZ extended east from the south of Tuvalu to the east of Samoa. It continued to be weak with little activity further east in the Southwest Pacific.

In contrast, a large area of divergence, with sunny conditions, affected much of the Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea region. Willis Island, in the western Coral Sea has recorded below average rainfall every month since August 2001. Rainfall continued less than 50% of average in the Southern Cook Islands.

Temperatures were generally below average in Fiji, and around average in Queensland, Australia. Fiji recorded two new minimum temperature records and one new maximum temperature record. Temperatures were 0.7°C above average for New Caledonia.

Climate extremes in August 2002