The 1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average season with only two tropical cyclones occurring within the South Pacific to the east of 160°E.[A 1] The season officially ran from November 1, 1994, to April 30, 1995 with the first disturbance of the season forming on November 12 and the last disturbance dissipating on March 17.[A 2] This is the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form within the South Pacific Ocean.[1]
During the season there was no one killed from tropical disturbances whilst they were within the South Pacific. Cyclone Vania helped end a long dry spell in Vanuatu and caused minor damage to crops and houses in the country.[2] Cyclone William caused damage to crops, trees, and housing in the Southern Cook Islands and destroyed a causeway to a resort on Aitutaki.[2] As a result of the impacts caused by William, the name was retired from the tropical cyclone naming lists.[1]
Within the South Pacific, tropical cyclones were monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers (TCWC) in Nadi, Fiji, and in Wellington, New Zealand. Whilst tropical cyclones that moved to the west of 160°E were monitored as a part of the Australian region by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Both the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Naval Western Oceanography Center (NWOC) issued unofficial warnings within the southern Pacific. The JTWC issued warnings between 160°E and the International Date Line whilst the NWOC issued warnings for tropical cyclones forming between the International Date Line and the coasts of the Americas. Both warning centres designated tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix with numbers assigned in order to tropical cyclones developing within the whole of the Southern Hemisphere. TCWC Nadi and TCWC Wellington both use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale, and measure windspeeds over a period of ten minutes, while the JTWC and the NWOC measured sustained winds over a period of one minute and use the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale.
This timeline includes information from post-storm reviews by TCWC Nadi, TCWC Wellington, the JTWC, and the NWOC. It documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. Reports among warning centers often differ; as such, information from all three agencies has been included.
Timeline of storms edit
All data for the timeline graphic is taken from TCWC Nadi/TCWC Wellington.
November edit
- November 1
- 0000 UTC, (1200 FST) – The 1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season officially begins.[1][A 3][A 4][A 5]
- November 10
-
- 1800 UTC, (0600 FST, November 11) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 01P has formed 1180 km (735 mi) north of Port Vila, Vanuatu.[3]
- November 12
- 1200 UTC, (0000 FST, November 13) - TCWC Nadi designates Tropical Depression 01P as a tropical depression..[4]
- November 13
-
- 0600 UTC, (1800 FST) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 01P has intensified into a tropical storm.[3]
- November 14
-
- 0000 UTC, (1200 FST) – TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Depression 01P has intensified into a category 1 tropical cyclone and names it Vania.[4]
- November 15
-
- 0000 UTC, (1200 FST) – TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Vania (01P), has intensified into a category 2 tropical cyclone.[4]
- 1200 UTC, (0000 FST, November 16) – TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Vania (01P), has reached its peak 10-minute sustained winds of 100 km/h (65 mph).[4]
- 1200 UTC, (0000 FST, November 16) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Storm Vania (01P), has reached its peak 1-minute sustained winds of 115 km/h (70 mph).[3]
- November 16
-
- 1200 UTC, (0000 FST, November 17) – TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Vania (01P), has weakened into a category 1 tropical cyclone.[4]
- November 17
-
- 1800 UTC, (0600 FST, November 18) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Storm Vania (01P), has weakened into a tropical depression.[3]
- November 18
-
- 0000 UTC, (1200 FST) – TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Vania (01P), has weakened into a tropical depression and dissipated.[4]
- November 19
-
- 0600 UTC, (1800 FST) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression Vania (01P), has dissipated.[3]
December edit
- December 13
-
- 0600 UTC, (1800 FST) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 04P has formed 775 km (480 mi) east of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.[5]
- December 15
-
- 1200 UTC, (0000 FST, December 16) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 04P has intensified into a tropical storm. Simultaneously, they report that the storm has reached its peak intensity of 65 km/h (40 mph).[5]
- December 16
-
- 1800 UTC, (0600 FST, December 17) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Storm 04P has weakened into a tropical depression.[5]
- December 17
-
- 0000 UTC, (1200 FST) – The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 04P has dissipated.[5]
Notes edit
- ^ An average season has nine tropical cyclones, about half of which become severe tropical cyclones.
- ^ TCWC Nadi warned on systems in the South Pacific which is located from the equator to 25°S and from 160°E to 120°W. TCWC Wellington warns on systems from 25°S to 40°S and from 160°E to 120°W
- ^ UTC stands for Coordinated Universal Time.
- ^ FST stands for Fiji Standard Time, which is equivalent to UTC+12.
- ^ The figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the Fiji Meteorological Service's operational products for each storm. All other units are rounded to the nearest digit.
- ^ Vania formed in the upper center of the map and headed southwestward. The storm then curved to the south before completing a loop and dissipating.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South Pacific and South-East Indian Ocean (2008 Edition)". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ a b Shepard, I. (June 1997). "The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season 1994-95" (PDF). Australian Meteorological Magazine. 46: 143–151. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b c d e "Tropical Cyclone Vania (01P) Best Track Analysis". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "TCWC Wellington Best Track Data 1967–2006". Fiji Meteorological Service, Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, Bureau of Meteorology (Australia). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2009-05-22. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Tropical Depression 04P Best Track Analysis". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 22 June 2010.