1977–78 South Pacific cyclone season

Seasonal summary

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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/10/1977 till:01/06/1978 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/10/1977

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PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:24/11/1977 till:04/12/1977 color:C2 text:"Steve (C2)" from:05/12/1977 till:11/12/1977 color:C1 text:"Tessa (C1)" from:23/12/1977 till:31/12/1977 color:C2 text:"Anne (C2)" from:31/12/1977 till:12/01/1978 color:C3 text:"Bob (C3)" from:13/02/1978 till:01/03/1978 color:C3 text:"Charles (C3)" from:15/02/1978 till:22/02/1978 color:C2 text:"Diana (C2)" from:17/02/1978 till:23/02/1978 color:C2 text:"Ernie (C2)" from:13/04/1978 till:22/04/1978 color:C3 text:"Hal (C3)"

bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/11/1977 till:30/11/1977 text:November from:01/12/1977 till:31/12/1977 text:December from:01/01/1978 till:31/01/1978 text:January from:01/02/1978 till:28/02/1978 text:February from:01/03/1978 till:31/03/1978 text:March from:01/04/1978 till:30/04/1978 text:April

TextData = pos:(568,24) text:"(From the" pos:(617,24) text:"Australian tropical cyclone scale)"

Systems

Tropical Cyclone Steve

|10-min winds=60 |1-min winds=70

Tropical Cyclone Tessa

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=45

Tessa precursor tropical depression was first noted on December 5, while it was located in the southern Line Islands of Kiribati. Over the next couple of days, the system moved southeastwards and gradually intensified, before it was named Tessa by the FMS during December 7.

During December 9, the system moved in between Puka Puka and Reao as it continued to weaken and move south-eastwards towards the Gambier Islands. The system was last noted during December 11, while it was located about 590 km to the northeast of Adams Town in the Pitcairn Islands. As the system moved through the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, Tessa caused significant precipitation over the islands, with the Puka Puka weather station recording a 24-hour rainfall total of 154.2 mm during December 8.

Tropical Cyclone Anne

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=55

For several days during the week building up to Christmas 1977, a tropical disturbance persisted about 925 km to the northeast of Fiji and to the northwest of Samoa. A distinct cyclonic circulation subsequently started to develop during December 23, while it was located about 740 km to the northeast of Vanua Levu. Over the next day the system moved south-westwards and passed within 75 km of Futuna, before it was named Anne by the FMS during December 24, as satellite pictures showed that a tropical cyclone was developing. During December 25, the winds were indirectly estimated to be off gale-force, as it passed south-westwards through the Fijian Islands.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Bob

|10-min winds=85 |1-min winds=80

Severe Tropical Cyclone Charles

|10-min winds=85 |1-min winds=80

Tropical Cyclone Diana

|10-min winds=55 During February 15, a tropical depression developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone, to the west of French Polynesia's Society Islands. Over the next couple of days, the system moved eastwards towards Mopelia while gradually developing further, before it was named Diana by the FMS during February 16.

Tropical Cyclone Ernie

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=50

During February 17, the FMS started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed, about 560 km to the northwest of Udu Point in Fiji. During that day, the system deepened as it moved south-eastwards towards Fiji before the FMS named it Ernie.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hal

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=80

Season effects

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|- | Steve || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|60 kn || bgcolor=#|965 hPa || || || || |- | Tessa || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|990 hPa || || || || |- | Anne || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || || || || |- | Bob || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|85 kn || bgcolor=#|945 hPa || || || || |- | Charles || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|85 kn || bgcolor=#|945 hPa || || || || |- | Diana || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || || || || |- | Ernie || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || || || || |- | Hal || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|70 kn || bgcolor=#|965 hPa || || || || |-

References

References

1. ["1977 Tropical Cyclone TESSA (1977339S11204)"]({{IBTRACS url). The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.
2. Krishna, Ram. (January 4, 1981). "Publication No. 2: Tropical Cyclones in Fiji: November 1969 – April 1980". Fiji Meteorological Service.
3. ["1978 Tropical Cyclone Diana (1978047S13197)"]({{IBTRACS url). The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.