2001-02 South Pacific cyclone season
Encyclopedia
The 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average year in which only five named storms
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
east of 160°E
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
in Nadi
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
, New Zealand
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
trough
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
well to the south of French Polynesia
.
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
and the Tasman Sea
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
well to the south of Tonga.
Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
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The 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average year in which only five named storms
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
east of 160°E
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
in Nadi
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
, New Zealand
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
trough
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
well to the south of French Polynesia
.
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
and the Tasman Sea
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
well to the south of Tonga.
Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
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The 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average year in which only five named storms
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
east of 160°E
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
in Nadi
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
, New Zealand
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
trough
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
well to the south of French Polynesia
.
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
and the Tasman Sea
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
well to the south of Tonga.
Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
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Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
east of 160°E
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
in Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
Seasonal summary
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
Tropical Cyclone Trina
The first tropical cyclone of the year, Trina formed upper-level low pressure systemLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
Tropical Depression 02F
On December 8, a new tropical depression developed near FijiFiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Waka
Waka originated in a near-equatorialEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
Tropical Cyclone Vicky
Forming out of the same initial disturbance as Cyclone Waka, Tropical Cyclone Vicky formed within a region of moderate wind shear, inhibiting substantial development. The storm was first classified by the FMS on December 22 over open waters. Situated to the south of an upper-level ridgeRidge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
well to the south of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.
Tropical Depression 05F
On December 31, the FMS began monitoring a new tropical depression, classified as 05F, roughly 600 km (375 mi) east-northeast of the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Claudia
During the second phase of the MJO, a new low pressure system developed over the Coral SeaCoral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
well to the south of Tonga.
Tropical Cyclone Des
Following a pattern similar to the formation of Cyclone Claudia, Des formed out of an area of disturbed weather east of Australia in late February. The precursor system formed at the same time as the initial disturbance which developed into Typhoon Mitag in the northwestern Pacific. By March 4, sufficient development had taken place to classify the system as a tropical depression and a tropical cyclone early the next day. During March 5, Des underwent a brief period of rapid intensification, attaining its peak strength of 60 mph (95 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg). Initially, the storm was forecast to impact New Caledonia; however, a mid-level ridge to the northeast forced the system to the southeast, sparing the island of a direct hit. Due to the storm's proximity to the mountains of New Caledonia and less favorable environmental conditions, Des began to weaken on March 6. The following day, the storm was devoid of convection, marking its degeneration into a remnant low pressure system. The remnants of Des were monitored for a few more days before they dissipated south of Fiji.Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
Storm names
South Pacific tropical cyclones are usually assigned names by the RSMCRegional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited was established as a State-Owned Enterprise in 1992. It employs about 215 staff and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand...
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
{|width="90%"
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The 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average year in which only five named storms
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
east of 160°E
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
in Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
Seasonal summary
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
Tropical Cyclone Trina
The first tropical cyclone of the year, Trina formed upper-level low pressure systemLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
Tropical Depression 02F
On December 8, a new tropical depression developed near FijiFiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Waka
Waka originated in a near-equatorialEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
Tropical Cyclone Vicky
Forming out of the same initial disturbance as Cyclone Waka, Tropical Cyclone Vicky formed within a region of moderate wind shear, inhibiting substantial development. The storm was first classified by the FMS on December 22 over open waters. Situated to the south of an upper-level ridgeRidge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
well to the south of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.
Tropical Depression 05F
On December 31, the FMS began monitoring a new tropical depression, classified as 05F, roughly 600 km (375 mi) east-northeast of the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Claudia
During the second phase of the MJO, a new low pressure system developed over the Coral SeaCoral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
well to the south of Tonga.
Tropical Cyclone Des
Following a pattern similar to the formation of Cyclone Claudia, Des formed out of an area of disturbed weather east of Australia in late February. The precursor system formed at the same time as the initial disturbance which developed into Typhoon Mitag in the northwestern Pacific. By March 4, sufficient development had taken place to classify the system as a tropical depression and a tropical cyclone early the next day. During March 5, Des underwent a brief period of rapid intensification, attaining its peak strength of 60 mph (95 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg). Initially, the storm was forecast to impact New Caledonia; however, a mid-level ridge to the northeast forced the system to the southeast, sparing the island of a direct hit. Due to the storm's proximity to the mountains of New Caledonia and less favorable environmental conditions, Des began to weaken on March 6. The following day, the storm was devoid of convection, marking its degeneration into a remnant low pressure system. The remnants of Des were monitored for a few more days before they dissipated south of Fiji.Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
Storm names
South Pacific tropical cyclones are usually assigned names by the RSMCRegional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited was established as a State-Owned Enterprise in 1992. It employs about 215 staff and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand...
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
{|width="90%"
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The 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average year in which only five named storms
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
formed or entered the South Pacific basin. It began on 1 November 2001 and ended on 30 April 2002. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
east of 160°E
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.
The South Pacific Basin, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
, is split into two sub-areas, monitored by separate agencies. The first area is between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
are monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
in Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
. Those that move south of 25°S are monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. At the start of the season, a new naming policy was introduced by the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South- East Indian Ocean. The policy stated that a storm attaining gale-force winds in only one quadrant near its center would be named
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is in contrast to the previous policy in which gale-force winds had to completely surround the center to be named.
Seasonal summary
During the 2000–01 South Pacific cyclone season, only five tropical cyclones and two severe tropical cyclone formed or entered the region. Compared to an average season, which generally features nine tropical cyclones and four to five severe tropical cyclones, the 2000–01 season was substantially below average. This continued an inactive trend seen by several seasons prior; however, it was slightly more active than the previous year. Aside from Tropical Cyclone Trina, every storm in the basin formed in relation to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) phase. There were four pulses of this feature throughout the course of the season; the first resulted in the formation of Waka and Vicky and the second resulted in the formation of Claudia and Des. The remaining tropical depressions formed in relation to all of the pulses.
Tropical Cyclone Trina
The first tropical cyclone of the year, Trina formed upper-level low pressure systemLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
. Remaining nearly sationary, the storm meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
and dissipated several days later.
Due to the slow movement of the storm, it produced substantial rainfall over the island of Mangaia, resulting in some of the worst flooding in 50 years. Although no people were killed, nearly 60% of the islands' livestock died and 90% of the staple crop was lost. Estimates from the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council placed damage at $52,000.
Tropical Depression 02F
On December 8, a new tropical depression developed near FijiFiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Tracking westward, the system attained a peak intensity of 45 km/h (30 mph) with a minimum pressure of 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) before weakening took place. By December 10, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. Over the following several days, the remnants of the depression drifted southeastward and were last noted on December 15 to the southeast of Fiji.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Waka
Waka originated in a near-equatorialEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
of low pressure in mid-December 2001, although the system remained disorganized for more than a week. The storm gradually matured and attained tropical cyclone status on December 29. Subsequently, Waka underwent rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
in which it attained its peak intensity as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on December 31, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Shortly thereafter, it passed directly over Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, resulting in widespread damage. By January 1, 2002, the cyclone began to weaken as it underwent an extratropical transition
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. The remnants of Waka persisted for several more days and were last observed near the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
on January 6.
Throughout Waka's path, several countries were impacted by the storm; however, the most significant losses took place in Tonga. There, one person was killed and 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) was wrought in damage. Hundreds of structures were destroyed and much of the nation's agriculture was destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, destroying 200 homes in the island's largest city. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bats lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage.
Tropical Cyclone Vicky
Forming out of the same initial disturbance as Cyclone Waka, Tropical Cyclone Vicky formed within a region of moderate wind shear, inhibiting substantial development. The storm was first classified by the FMS on December 22 over open waters. Situated to the south of an upper-level ridgeRidge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
, the system tracked slowly towards the northeast and intensified, despite unfavorable conditions. Over the following two days, convection managed to persist along the northern edge of the system's center of circultaion and on December 24, the FMS classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Vicky. At this time, Vicky was situated roughly 900 km (559.2 mi) north-northeast of Rarotonga. Shortly thereafter, wind shear increased in relation to an approaching trough, resulting in Vicky weakening to a tropical depression. Over the following several days, the depression drifted southward before entering the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
and re-intensifying into a strong extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
well to the south of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.
Tropical Depression 05F
On December 31, the FMS began monitoring a new tropical depression, classified as 05F, roughly 600 km (375 mi) east-northeast of the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. A large system, similar to a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al depression, 05F drifted southeastward for several days before turning towards the southwest. On January 1, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and a pressure of 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg). Despite having gale-force winds, the system was not classified as a tropical cyclone since the winds were significantly displaced from the center of circulation. the JTWC determined the system had a good chance of developing into a tropical cyclone and issued a TCFA; however, this was later canceled as the depression failed to strengthen. By January 6, the system crossed 160°E and entered the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's area of responsibility.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Claudia
During the second phase of the MJO, a new low pressure system developed over the Coral SeaCoral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
, on February 9. Situated between two troughs over eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, the system tracked towards the southeast and rapidly organized. The system was classified as Tropical Cyclone Claudia on February 11 and upgraded to a severe tropical cyclone less than 24 hours later. Later on February 12, the system crossed 160°E, entering the South Pacific basin at peak intensity. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 km/h (75 mph) and its minimum pressure was 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg). A ragged eye was briefly seen on satellite imagery before Claudia moved over decreasing sea surface temperatures. The combined effects of its rapid forward speed and increased wind shear quickly weakened the system. By February 13, Claudia had weakened to a non-convective tropical depression. The remnants of the storm persisted for another day before being absorbed by a frontal system
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
well to the south of Tonga.
Tropical Cyclone Des
Following a pattern similar to the formation of Cyclone Claudia, Des formed out of an area of disturbed weather east of Australia in late February. The precursor system formed at the same time as the initial disturbance which developed into Typhoon Mitag in the northwestern Pacific. By March 4, sufficient development had taken place to classify the system as a tropical depression and a tropical cyclone early the next day. During March 5, Des underwent a brief period of rapid intensification, attaining its peak strength of 60 mph (95 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg). Initially, the storm was forecast to impact New Caledonia; however, a mid-level ridge to the northeast forced the system to the southeast, sparing the island of a direct hit. Due to the storm's proximity to the mountains of New Caledonia and less favorable environmental conditions, Des began to weaken on March 6. The following day, the storm was devoid of convection, marking its degeneration into a remnant low pressure system. The remnants of Des were monitored for a few more days before they dissipated south of Fiji.Since Des remained off the coast of New Caledonia, the storm's strongest winds did not impact land; however, weather stations along the coast measured winds of 75 to 95 km/h (46.6 to 59 mph). No damage was reported in relation to Cyclone Des.
Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
during the 2001-2002 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and or TCWC Wellington. The Damage figures are all 2002 USD.
Storm names
South Pacific tropical cyclones are usually assigned names by the RSMCRegional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, TCWC Wellington
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited was established as a State-Owned Enterprise in 1992. It employs about 215 staff and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand...
, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list. Two of the named storms this season, Claudia and Des, originated west of 160°E and were named by TCWC Brisbane. The name Walter was originally meant to be used on this list but for unknown reasons it was replaced with Waka shortly before the name was used. After this season, the names Trina and Waka were retired and have been replaced with Tino and Wiki respectively.
{|width="90%"
|
- AmosBartCoraDaniEllaFrank
|- GitaHaliIrisJoKimLeo
|- MonaNeilOmaPaulaRitaSose
|- TrinaTropical Cyclone TrinaTropical Cyclone Trina was a weak but destructive tropical cyclone which caused some of the worst flooding in the South Pacific island of Mangaia, Cook Islands, in nearly 50 years...
- Vicky
- Waka
- YolandeZoe
|}
See also
- List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 20012001 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2001 Atlantic hurricane season was a fairly active Atlantic hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. The season officially lasted from June 1, 2001, to November 30, 2001, dates which by convention limit the period of each...
, 20022002 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 2002 Atlantic hurricane season was an average Atlantic hurricane season, officially starting on June 1, 2002 and ending on November 30, dates which conventionally limit the period of each year when tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean tend to form... - Pacific hurricane seasons: 20012001 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2001 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most notable storm that year was Hurricane Juliette, which caused devastating floods in Baja California, leading to 12 fatalities and $400 million worth of damage...
, 20022002 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 2002 Pacific hurricane season was an event in tropical cyclone meteorology. The most notable storm that year was Hurricane Kenna, which reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It made landfall near Puerto Vallarta, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, on October 25... - Pacific typhoon seasons: 20012001 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2001 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2001, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
, 20022002 Pacific typhoon seasonA Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued on July 19 for a Tropical Disturbance that was located east of the international Date Line. The Next day the Disturbance crossed the international date line and was classified as a Tropical Depression by the JMA. The JMA then upgraded the depression to... - North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 20012001 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2001 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Four tropical...
, 20022002 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2002 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Four tropical...
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