Monthly climate

Climate developments in June 2005

The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was rather weak in June, affecting the region northeast of the Solomon Islands. North of the equator, the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) extended from the Caroline Islands across the Date Line to the equatorial region well south of Hawaii. Areas of enhanced convection occurred from Tonga to the Austral Islands of Southern French Polynesia, and also over Australia and the North Tasman Sea. Extensive and hazardous flooding occurred on Queensland’s Gold Coast and adjacent areas of far northern New South Wales at the end of June, some areas receiving as much as 500 mm in 24 hours. Rainfall was at least 125% of average in the Kermadec Islands, parts of Fiji (more than 500 mm on Rotuma Island), the Wallis and Futuna Islands, Tonga, and American Samoa.

Suppressed convection occurred over much of Indonesia, extending east to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Western Kiribati, and Tokelau. Rainfall was less than 50% of average in parts of Western Kiribati, New Caledonia, and Northern and Central French Polynesia, and 75% or less of average in Niue, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Mean air temperatures were about 1.0 °C above average in Western Kiribati, parts of Tuvalu, and the Marquesas Islands, consistent with warmer than normal sea surface temperatures, and about 0.5 °C below average in parts of Fiji and the Austral Islands.

Anticyclones in the eastern Tasman Sea produced above average mean sea-level pressures over New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Pressures were below average over French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.

Along the equator, surface equatorial easterlies occurred in 95% of observations at Tarawa, with very few westerlies recorded.

Climate extremes in June 2005