Fiji is an island nation located within the Pacific Ocean to the northeast of New Zealand, where it is neighboured by various other island nations including Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tonga, the Samoan Islands, Wallis and Futuna and Tuvalu. It has a tropical marine climate with two main seasons, a hot and a cold one, where there is little variation in temperature between the two seasons. Tropical cyclones are the most serious natural hazard that Fiji experiences in terms of total damage and economic loss, with the island nation directly impacted by an average of 21 tropical cyclones during a decade or at least 1 - 2 tropical cyclones each season.
Climate edit
The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm year round with minimal extremes. The warm season is from November to April, and the cooler season lasts from May to October. Temperatures in the cool season average 22 °C (72 °F). Rainfall is variable, with the warm season experiencing heavier rainfall, especially inland. For the larger islands, rainfall is heavier on the southeast portions of the islands than on the northwest portions, with consequences for agriculture in those areas. Winds are moderate.[1][2]
Background edit
The Republic of Fiji is an island nation located within the South Pacific Ocean, between the longitudes of 175°East and 178°West and latitudes 15° and 22° South.[3] The island nation is located about 2100 kilometres (1305 mi) to the northeast of Auckland in New Zealand.[3] Its Exclusive Economic Zone covers around 1.3 million square kilometres and contains over 330 individual islands and islets, of which, around a third of which are inhabited.[3] The island group contains a mixture of large mountainous islands of volcanic origin, as well as numerous small volcanic islands, low-lying atolls and elevated reefs.[3]
Fiji has tropical marine climate with its location in the South Pacific Ocean, having a strong influence, on its climate, on both a seasonal and interannual timescale.[3]
Weather edit
Seasons edit
Fiji experiences both a wet season and a dry season,
Winds edit
In general, winds over Fiji are light and moderate, with strong winds generally only recorded in channels and around the headlands between June and November.[4] Throughout the year, these winds are predominately the trade winds, that blow over the island nation from the east to southeast.[4] Other winds recorded in Fiji are from the South Pacific Convergence Zone and tropical cyclones, while daytime sea breezes blow across the main islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu.[4]
Rainfall edit
| Average monthly total rainfall (1971 - 2000) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Month | Suva | Nadi |
| January | 371 mm (14.6 in) | 343 mm (13.5 in) |
| February | 265 mm (10.4 in) | 292 mm (11.5 in) |
| March | 374 mm (14.7 in) | 341 mm (13.4 in) |
| April | 366 mm (14.4 in) | 160 mm (6.3 in) |
| May | 270 mm (10.6 in) | 89 mm (3.5 in) |
| June | 163 mm (6.4 in) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| July | 136 mm (5.4 in) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| August | 158 mm (6.2 in) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| September | 177 mm (7.0 in) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| October | 221 mm (8.7 in) | 102 mm (4.0 in) |
| November | 245 mm (9.6 in) | 132 mm (5.2 in) |
| December | 277 mm (10.9 in) | 178 mm (7.0 in) |
| Reference: Fiji Meteorological Service.[4] | ||
Rainfall over Fiji is highly variable and is influenced by the island topography, as well as the prevailing south-easterly winds and the South Pacific Convergence Zone.[4][3]
Snow has never been observed in Fiji
During an El Nino episode, drier conditions than normal conditions are observed during both the wet and dry seasons, as the South Pacific Convergence Zone tends to be located to the northeast of the island nation.
There has been no significant increase or decrease in Fiji's annual average rainfall, as a result of climate change between 1958 and 2021.[5] However, there is a large year-to-year variability within the records because of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.[5]
Temperature edit
Temperatures around the lower levels of Fiji are generally uniform. On the leeward side of the mountains and main islands, temperatures tend to rise by about 1–2 °C (2–4 °F) above those on the windward side or on the smaller islands.[4]
2007 was the warmest year on record in Fiji since 1957 and was thought to be the warmest since 1927, with the average air temperature recorded at 26.5 °C (79.7 °F).[6] The coldest year on record was ... , with the annual average air temperature being recorded at . 2021 recorded the national mean maximum air temperature of 29.9 °C (85.8 °F), while the coldest year on record was .[5] Since 1957, the national mean air temperature has increased by 0.9 °C (1.6 °F), while the maximum and minimum air temperatures have increased by 1.0 °C (1.8 °F) and 0.9 °C (1.6 °F).[5] This pattern of rising air temperatures is thought to be consistent with the global pattern and has been attributed to greenhouse gas concentration increasing in the atmosphere.[5]
Weather events edit
El Niño-Southern Oscillation edit
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation has a considerable impact on the year-to-year variability of Fiji’s climate, with El Niño and La Niña events having a significant impact on rainfall over the islands.[7] Once an event is established, it can take a number of months to have an effect on Fiji's climate, while it can take a number of months for the climate to normalise after an event.[7] The strength of an ENSO event is usually proportional to the effects on Fiji's climate, however, weak events can still have significant impacts.[7]
Tropical cyclones edit
Tropical cyclones are the most serious natural hazard that Fiji experiences in terms of total damage and economic loss, with the island nation directly impacted by an average of 21 tropical cyclones during a decade or at least 1 - 2 tropical cyclones each season.[4][5][8] However, there have been several seasons, where no tropical cyclone has passed through Fiji's exclusive ecomnic zone, while six systems impacted the island nation during the 1992-93 season.[8][5] They generally impact the country during the cyclone season between November and the following April, however, systems have impacted the island nation outside of these times.[8] The effects of tropical cyclones on Fiji are most significant at the coast, however, as Fiji is a small country, the whole island nation can be severely impacted by widespread flooding, landslides and storm-force winds.[8] The frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones impacting Fiji is one of the major barriers, to the island nations economic growth and development.[8] The average annual losses to assets from tropical cyclones amount to about FJ$152 million or about 1.6% of the island nations gross domestic product.[8] The worst tropical cyclone on record to impact Fiji was Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston which caused 44 deaths and an estimated 2 billion FJ$ (0.9 billion US$) in damage, while the deadliest was the February 1931 hurricane and flood which caused 225 deaths.[8][9]
Floods edit
Floods are one of the most common natural disasters to impact Fiji and occur on a regular basis, with an average of one major flood event each year.
Droughts edit
Within Fiji, most of the droughts ever observed have been associated with an El Niño episode, which causes hotter, cooler and drier conditions than normal over the island nation. Most droughts are
The impacts of a drought are mainly felt in the Western Divison which receives less rainfall, however, then can but can be felt all over the island nation
Tornadoes edit
Within Fiji, tornadoes generally occur as tropical cyclones approach the island nation, however, these are short lived, generally considered weak and do minimal damage.[10]
Climate Change edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Our Country". fiji.gov. Government of the Republicof the Fiji Islands. November 2009. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010.
- ^ "Fiji: Land". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Climate Change: The Fiji Islands Response: Fijiʼs First National Communication Under the Framework Convention on Climate Change 2005 (PDF) (Report). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 2005.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Climate of Fiji (PDF) (Information Sheet: 35). Fiji Meteorological Service. April 28, 2006. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Climate Change Trends (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. June 8, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 8, 2022.
{{cite report}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; April 6, 2022 suggested (help) - ^ Fiji Islands Annual Climate Summuary 2007 (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c Fiji Sugarcane Climate Outlook from May 2021 Planting & Harvesting Season (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. p. 5. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Republic of Fiji: Third National Communication Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (PDF) (Report). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. April 27, 2020. p. 62.
- ^ Yeo, Stephen W; Blong, Russell J. "Fiji's worst natural disaster: the 1931 hurricane and flood". Disasters. 34 (3): 657–683. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01163.x.
- ^ Movono, Lice (April 8, 2020). "Tornadoes happen in Fiji, but rarely: Weather Office". Mai TV. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021.