The 1984–85 South Pacific cyclone season was an above-average tropical cyclone season, with nine tropical cyclones occurring within the basin between 160°E and 120°W. The season ran from November 1, 1984, to April 30, 1985, with tropical cyclones officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and NOAA also monitored the basin during the season. During the season there was nine tropical cyclones occurring within the basin, including three that moved into the basin from the Australian region. The BoM, MetService and RSMC Nadi all estimated sustained wind speeds over a period of 10-minutes, which are subsequently compared to the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).
| 1984–85 South Pacific cyclone season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | December 26, 1984 |
| Last system dissipated | March 20, 1985 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | Hina |
| • Maximum winds | 220 km/h (140 mph) (10-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 910 hPa (mbar) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total depressions | 9 |
| Tropical cyclones | 9 |
| Severe tropical cyclones | 5 |
| Total fatalities | 37 |
| Total damage | > $40 million (1985 USD) |
| Related articles | |
Seasonal summary edit
During November and December no significant tropical cyclones developed in or moved into the basin in the region,
The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Pierre were last noted during 24 February, as they moved into the basin from the Australian region.[1][2]
Systems edit
Unnamed Tropical Cyclone edit
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | December 26 – December 28 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min); 987 hPa (mbar) |
An unnamed tropical cyclone existed from December 26 to December 28.
Tropical Cyclone Monica edit
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | December 28 – January 3 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min); 975 hPa (mbar) |
Tropical Cyclone Monica existed from December 29 to December 30.
Tropical Cyclone Drena edit
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | January 9 – January 16 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (10-min); 987 hPa (mbar) |
Tropical Cyclone Drena existed from January 9 to January 16.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Eric edit
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | January 13 – January 20 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min); 955 hPa (mbar) |
On January 13, TCWC Nadi started to monitor a shallow depression that had developed within the monsoon trough about 725 km (450 mi) to the west of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.[3] Over the next day the system moved eastwards and developed further as gale-force winds developed near the systems centre before the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 11P during January 14.[3][4] The system was subsequently named Eric by TCWC Nadi as it moved closer to Espiritu Santo and became equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone.[3][5] During January 15, Eric passed near or over Espiritu Santo, as it continued to intensify before it turned and accelerated south-eastwards.[3] Eric subsequently became equivalent to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone early the next day, before an Air Pacific flight from Fiji to the Solomon Islands located the systems eye on radar.[3]
During January 17, Eric's well defined eye came into the range of Nadi airports surveillance radar, before TCWC Nadi estimated that Eric had peaked with 10-minute sustained wind-speeds of 150 km/h (90 mph).[3][5] During that day Eric's eye seemed to contract to around 15 km (10 mi) as it made passed through Fiji's Western Division and made landfall on the Fijian main island of Viti Levu about 10 km (5 mi) to the south of Nadi.[3] After the system had made landfall, the JTWC estimated that Eric had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the SSHWS.[6] The system subsequently passed near or over Fiji's capital: Suva before emerging into the Korro Sea and weakening. Eric subsequently passed through the Tonga's Ha'apai islands just to the south of Nomuka during January 18, before it gradually weakened and was last noted during January 20, over 1,800 km (1,120 mi) to the south of Papeete, French Polynesia.[5][6]
Severe Tropical Cyclone Nigel edit
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | January 16 – January 28 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min); 955 hPa (mbar) |
Late on January 16, Tropical Cyclone Nigel moved into the South Pacific basin from the Australian region. During the next day the system continued to move eastwards and developed an eye, before it became equivalent to a modern-day category 3 severe tropical cyclone.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette edit
| Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | January 19 – January 21 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 165 km/h (105 mph) (10-min); 936 hPa (mbar) |
At around 1300 UTC on January 19, Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette moved into the South Pacific Basin from the Australian Region.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Freda edit
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | January 25 – January 30 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min); 955 hPa (mbar) |
During January 26, the FMS reported that a depression was located within the vicinity of the Southern Cook Islands about 150 km (95 mi) to the west-northwest of the island of Aitutaki.
Tropical Cyclone Gavin edit
| Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | March 2 – March 8 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 95 km/h (60 mph) (10-min); 985 hPa (mbar) |
Gavin caused widespread flooding within the western division of Fiji, with seven people killed as a result.[7]
Severe Tropical Cyclone Hina edit
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Australian scale) | |
| Category 4 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | March 11 – March 20 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 220 km/h (140 mph) (10-min); 910 hPa (mbar) |
Hina was one of the most intense tropical cyclones ever recorded in the South Pacific basin. Having a distinct rainband and well defined outflow with low wind shear and warm water temperature, Hina underwent a period of Explosive Deepening (rapid intensification) The storm continued southward. Due to unfavorable conditions and an approaching Eyewall Replacement Cycle, the storm weakened into a tropical storm. As its center became ill-defined, the storm lost winds of tropical storm force and weakened into a tropical depression. The remnants dissipated some time later.
Season effects edit
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific basin during the 1984–85 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damages.
| Name | Dates | Peak intensity | Areas affected | Damage (USD) |
Deaths | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Wind speed | Pressure | ||||||
| Unnamed | December 26–28 | Category 1 tropical cyclone | 85 km/h (50 mph) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | None | None | ||
| Monica | December 28 – January 3 | Category 2 tropical cyclone | 110 km/h (70 mph) | 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) | New Caledonia | None | None | |
| Drena | January 9–16 | Category 1 tropical cyclone | 85 km/h (50 mph) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | ||||
| Eric | January 14–20 | Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) | Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga | 40 million | 27 | [7] |
| Nigel | January 16–28 | Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | 75 km/h (45 mph) | 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) | Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga | |||
| Odette | January 19–21 | Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | 165 km/h (105 mph) | 960 hPa (28.35 inHg) | Vanuatu | Minor | None | |
| Freda | January 25–30 | Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) | ||||
| Gavin | March 2–9 | Category 2 tropical cyclone | 95 km/h (60 mph) | 985 hPa (29.09 inHg) | Vanuatu, Fiji | 7 | ||
| Hina | March 11–20 | Category 5 severe tropical cyclone | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 910 hPa (26.87 inHg) | Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji | 3 | ||
| Season aggregates | ||||||||
| 9 systems | December 26 – March 20 | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 910 hPa (26.87 inHg) | $40 million | 37 | |||
See also edit
- Weather of 1985
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1984, 1985
- Pacific hurricane seasons: 1984, 1985
- Pacific typhoon seasons: 1984, 1985
- North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1984, 1985
- 1984–85 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
- 1984–85 Australian region cyclone season
References edit
- ^ Tropical Cyclone Pierre (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ "1985 Tropical Cyclone Pierre (1985049S12143)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g DeAngellis, Richard M, ed. (1985). Hurricane Alley: Tropical Cyclones — January 1985 (Mariners Weather Log: Volume 29: Issue 3: Summer 1985). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. pp. 170–174. ISSN 0025-3367. OCLC 648466886.
- ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (1986). Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: 1985 (PDF) (Report). United States Navy, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c MetService (May 22, 2009). "TCWC Wellington Best Track Data 1967–2006". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (January 19, 2012). "Tropical Cyclone 11P (Eric) best track analysis". United States Navy, United States Air Force. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ a b "Summary of Major Disasters in Fiji 1985 – March 2010" (PDF). Fiji National disaster management office. 2010-10-10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-09-10.