1978–79 South Pacific cyclone season

Summary

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AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/12/1978 till:01/05/1979 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/12/1978 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TDi value:rgb(0,0.52,0.84) legend:Tropical_Disturbance id:TD value:rgb(0.43,0.76,0.92) legend:Tropical_Depression id:C1 value:rgb(0.3,1,1) legend:Category_1_=63-87_km/h(39-54_mph) id:C2 value:rgb(0.75,1,0.75) legend:Category_2_=88-142_km/h(55-74_mph) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.85,0.55) legend:Category_3_=143-158-km/h(75-98_mph) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.45,0.54) legend:Category_4_=159–204_km/h(99–127_mph) id:C5 value:rgb(0.55,0.46,0.9) legend:Category_5_=≥205_km/h(≥128_mph)

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PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:27/12/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:C2 text:"Fay (C2)" from:03/01/1979 till:09/01/1979 color:C3 text:"Gordon (C3)" from:29/01/1979 till:05/02/1979 color:C2 text:"Henry (C2)" from:03/02/1979 till:06/02/1979 color:C1 text:"Judith (C1)" barset:break from:13/02/1979 till:15/02/1979 color:C3 text:"Kerry (C3)" from:21/02/1979 till:23/02/1979 color:C2 text:"Leslie (C2)" from:24/03/1979 till:31/03/1979 color:C3 text:"Meli (C3)" from:30/03/1979 till:01/04/1979 color:C1 text:"Nina (C1)"

bar:Month width:4 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/12/1978 till:01/01/1979 text:December from:01/01/1979 till:01/02/1979 text:January from:01/02/1979 till:01/03/1979 text:February from:01/03/1979 till:01/04/1979 text:March from:01/04/1979 till:30/04/1979 text:April

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Systems

Tropical Cyclone Fay

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=35 The precursor to Tropical Cyclone Fay can be traced back to an area of disturbed weather about 400 mi to the west of Tuvalu early on December 25. As it moved southeastward, it intensified into a tropical cyclone by the next day, before moving close to Rotuma by December 28 and reaching peak intensity the following day. The cyclone then moved through Fiji, where sustained winds were pushing at 60 kn with hurricane-force wind gusts. Once through the islands, Fay accelerated southwards, and was last noted on December 31 as it was becoming extratropical northeast of New Zealand.{{cite magazine|last=DeAngelis|first=Dick|title=Hurricane Alley: Southern Hemisphere, November and December.| magazine=Mariners Weather Log|volume=23|issue=2|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|publication-date=March 1979|id=https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ}}

Weather stations at Undu Point and Savusavu recorded winds of 60 kn as Fay passed through Fiji. Some of the Lau Islands suffered coastal damage from storm surge.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gordon

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=75 Gordon was first tracked on January 3, when it was about 90 mi to the north-northeast of the island of Tokelau. As it moved in a general southwestward direction, it strengthened into a tropical cyclone by the next day, before becoming a severe tropical cyclone by January 6. Then, it crossed to the north of Vanuatu with winds of 70 kn, before weakening into a tropical cyclone by January 7. It later approached New Caledonia while continuing to weaken on January 8, before it turned to the west, and subsequently exited the basin on January 9. Severe damage was reported in Vanuatu.

Tropical Cyclone Henry

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=50 Forming to the north of Vanuatu on January 29, Henry strengthened into a tropical cyclone on January 31, and took a southward track before becoming an extratropical cyclone and moving over New Zealand by February 4. It had little affect to land areas in Vanuatu.

Tropical Cyclone Judith

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=40 Originating in the Australian region, Judith became a tropical cyclone as it moved close to Vanuatu, before turning west and re-entering the region by February 6.{{cite magazine|last=DeAngelis|first=Dick|title=Hurricane Alley: Australia - South Pacific, January and February 1979.| magazine=Mariners Weather Log|volume=23|issue=3|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|publication-date=May 1979|id=https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ}} Like Henry, it also had little affect to land areas in Vanuatu.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Kerry

|10-min winds=75 |1-min winds=85 Kerry's origins can be traced back to a low that became evident about 485 mi to the southeast of Kiribati on February 7. By February 10, some cyclonic curvature could be detected in the surrounding convection, and by February 13, it had strengthened into a category 1 tropical cyclone. Moving generally west-southwest, it further strengthened into a category 2 tropical cyclone by 17:00 UTC on the same day, before fully becoming a severe tropical cyclone by February 14. As it moved closer near the Solomon Islands, it lashed Ulawa and neighboring islands, turning southwest and missing Makira and Guadalcanal, before skirting near Bellona. The cyclone then subsequently exited the basin and into the Australian region on February 15.

Severe damage was reported over the Solomon Islands, with monetary damages of SI$200 thousand. Over 22,000 people were homeless after the cyclone. 4 people were reported dead.

Tropical Cyclone Leslie

|1-min winds=40 |10-min winds=55 Forming to the south of Samoa on February 21, Leslie intensified into a category 2 tropical cyclone while rapidly moving southeastward. After crossing the 30th parallel south, Leslie became extratropical. There were no reports of damage associated with the storm.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Meli

|10-min winds=85 |1-min winds=115 Cyclone Meli first developed as a tropical depression between Fiji and Futuna on March 23. It moved east then southeast while it strengthened into a tropical cyclone, before turning to the west by March 26 as it developed an eye. It moved through Fiji throughout March 26 into 27, passing north of Lakeba and very close to Nayau, then passing very close to Suva at around 09:00 UTC on March 27. Once Meli cleared Fiji, it recurved to the southeast and weakened, and by March 30, Meli had reportedly weakened to a gale-force cyclone and was turning extratropical.

Meli had previously passed through Tuvalu, damaging Funafuti atoll. Meli then caused severe damage over the islands of Moala, Kadavu, Ono, and the central parts of the Lau Group. The island of Nayau suffered a direct hit from Meli. As a result, Fiji suffered tremendous crop losses. At least 11 ships were lost or damaged during the storm, with one of the ships being the Korean fishing vessel NAM HAE 202 with 20 crewmen onboard. A freighter also ran aground off the northwest coast of Vatulele after departing from Suva late on March 27 to ride out the storm. 52 people were killed by the storm, with 31 in Kadavu, and 14 in Nayau. A man and a young woman drowned after their yacht capsized under 90 kn winds.

Tropical Cyclone Nina

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=35 Tropical Cyclone Nina formed near Vanuatu on March 31, and took a curving track to the southeast, dissipating near Tonga by March 3.{{cite magazine|last=DeAngelis|first=Dick|title=Hurricane Alley: Global Tropical Cyclones, March and April 1979.| magazine=Mariners Weather Log|volume=24|issue=3|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|publication-date=May–June 1980|id=https://books.google.com/books?id=enMTAAAAYAAJ}} There were no particular damage reports associated with the storm.

Seasonal effects

|- | Fay || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || Fiji || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Gordon || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|70 kn || bgcolor=#|965 hPa || Vanuatu, New Caledonia || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Henry || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || Vanuatu, New Zealand || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Judith || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|988 hPa || Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia || Unknown || Unknown || |- | Kerry || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|75 kn || bgcolor=#|978 hPa || Solomon Islands || || 4 || |- | Leslie || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || Tonga || None || None || |- | Meli || || bgcolor=#|Category 3 severe tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|85 kn || bgcolor=#|945 hPa || Tuvalu, Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji || Unknown || 52 || |- | Nina || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|994 hPa || Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tonga || None || None || |-

References

References

1. Krishna, R. (October 1981). "Tropical Cyclones in Fiji, November 1969 to April 1980.". Fiji Meteorological Service.
2. ["1978 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) FAY"]({{IBTRACS url).
3. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone GORDON"]({{IBTRACS url).
4. (May 19, 1994). "Tropical Cyclones in Vanuatu - 1847 to 1994". Vanuatu Meteorological Service.
5. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) HENRY"]({{IBTRACS url).
6. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone UNNAMED"]({{IBTRACS url).
7. "Severe Tropical Cyclone Kerry". Australian [[Bureau of Meteorology]].
8. ["1979 Severe Tropical Cyclone KERRY"]({{IBTRACS url).
9. Radford, Deirdre A. (1992). "Natural Disasters in the Solomon Islands". The Australian International Development Assistance Bureau.
10. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone (Storm) LESLIE"]({{IBTRACS url).
11. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone MELI"]({{IBTRACS url).
12. DeAngelis, Dick. "Hurricane Alley: Southern Hemisphere, March and April 1979.". [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]].
13. "Archived copy".
14. ["1979 Tropical Cyclone (Gale) UNNAMED"]({{IBTRACS url).