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User:Jason Rees/Cook Islands

< User:Jason Rees

Background edit

The Cook Islands are made up of 15 islands that are spread out over an exclusive economic zone of around 2,000,000 square kilometres (770,000 sq mi) in the Southern Pacific Ocean, however, its total land area is less than 240 km2 (95 sq mi).[1] Geographically the 15 islands are split into two island groups which consists of the Northern (Manihiki, Palmerston, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Suwarrow and Nassau) and the Southern (Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, Rarotonga, Manuae and Takutea).[1] On average the Cook Islands experiences three tropical cyclones every other year and regularly experiences cyclone free seasons (2017-18), while its risk of experiencing a significant tropical cyclone is heightened during El Nino events.[1] An unprecedented five named tropical cyclones impacted the Cook Islands during February and March 2005.[1]

Systems edit

Pre 1900 edit

  • Around 1590 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands, where it was estimated to have caused around 1000 to 2000 deaths.[2]
  • 1785 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands and caused around 300 people to shelter in caves.[3]
  • February 7 – 10, 1839 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands.[4]
  • February 22 – 25, 1840 – A tropical cyclone impacted Fiji and the Cook Islands.[3][5]
  • December 16 – 17, 1840 – A tropical cyclone impacted Samoa and the Cook Islands.[6]
  • December 1842 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands, where one person was killed on a ship near Mangaia.[2]
  • January 16 – 17, 1845 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands.[3]
  • March 16 – 17, 1846 – A tropical cyclone impacted Samoa and the Cook Islands.[3]
  • December 24, 1848 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands, Samoa and French Polynesia.[3]
  • April 1850 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands of Mangaia and Rarotonga.[3]
  • January 25 – February 3, 1865 – A tropical cyclone impacted Samoa and the Southern Cook Islands.[3]
  • March 27, 1866 – A tropical cyclone impacted the southern Cook Island of Mangaia, where it unroofed the churches at Oneroa and Tamarau, destroyed 268 houses and uprooted 2000 trees.[3]
  • March 1867 – A tropical cyclone impacted the southern Cook Island of Mangaia.[3]
  • March 1869 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Southern Cook Islands.[3]
  • February 24, 1877 – A tropical cyclone existed to the east of the Cook Islands.[3]
  • February 2, 1882 – A tropical cyclone impacted Tonga and the Cook Islands.[3]
  • December 1883 – A tropical cyclone caused severe damage to Palmerston Atoll in the Southern Cook Islands.[3]
  • November 1890 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands, where it killed 14 people on a ship and two canoes.[2]
  • February 10 – 11, 1897 – A tropical cyclone impacted the Southern Cook Islands.[4]

1900's edit

  • December 18, 1931 - A tropical cyclone impacted the Cook Islands.[7]

1980s edit

  • January 16 - 20  - The FMS issued a tropical cyclone alert during January 16, as it appeared that Tropical Cyclone Tusi, would possibly cause gale-force or stronger winds over Palmerston and the rest of the Southern Cook Islands. This alert was upgraded to a gale warning for Rarotonga and Mangaia during January 19, while the rest of the alerts were cancelled during that day. The gale warning was subsequently cancelled during the following day after it had moved more southwards than had been predicted and failed to produce any gale-force winds in the Cook Islands.
  • November 9 - 10, 1989 - A gale warning was issued for the Southern Cook Islands, as a tropical depression was expected to produce gale-force winds over the islands.[8] However, as the system moved through the islands, weather stations and ships in the vicinity did not report winds as strong as had been forecast and no damages were reported.[8]
  • December 16 - 17, 1989 - A tropical depression caused strong gusty winds and a pierod of heavy rain, as it passed about 370 km (230 mi) to the southwest of Palmerston.[9]

1990s edit

  • November 30, 1990 -

Early on November 30, as the system moved towards the east-southeast, a gale warning was issued for the Cook Islands of Rarotonga and Mangaia, while issuing strong wind warnings and tropical cyclone alerts for the rest of the Southern Islands.[10][11] The warnings were subsequently maintained until later that day, as Sina spared the Cook Islands its major effects and re-curved sharply towards the south-southeast.[10] Only minor damage to shallow rooted crops and weak structures was reported, after high seas and gale force winds buffeted the northern side of Rarotonga.[10][12]


  • June 15, 1997 - The remnants of Severe Tropical Cyclone Keli passed near the island of Mauke in the Southern Cook Islands, where there was no damage reported.[13]


  • October 30 - November 3, 1997 - Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin
  • March 1999 - Severe Tropical Cyclone Hali was forecast to produce gale-force winds on some of the Southern Cook Islands, however, only strong and gusty winds were experienced and there was no damage reported.[14]

2000's edit

  • Meena
  • Nancy
  • Olaf
  • Percy
  • Sheila
  • Victor
  • Yalo
  • 18F

Gita Leo Oma Trina Vicky Dovi Meena Nancy Olaf Percy Rae Sheila Arthur Joni Ken Nisha Oli Pat Sarah Garry Haley Mike Yalo

  • February 19, 2017 - Just after Tropical Cyclone Bart had been named by the FMS, a gale warning was issued for Rarotonga and Mangaia, while strong wind and heavy swell warnings were issued for the rest of the Southern Cook Islands.[15] Gale-force winds, rain and thunderstorms were subsequently observed over the islands, however, there was no significant impact reported on either island.[16]
  • Sarai
  • Tino
  • Gale and heavy swell warnings were issued for the Southern Cook Islands, as Tropical Disturbance 08F developed to the west of the island nation.

2020s edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change: Cook Islands Report of in-country consultations (Report). June 9, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c De Scally, Fes A (2008). "Historical Tropical Cyclone Activity and Impacts in the Cook Islands". Pacific Science. 62 (4): 443–459. doi:10.2984/1534-6188(2008)62[443:HTCAAI]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0030-8870. S2CID 198148871.hdl:10125/22721
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m d'Aubert, AnaMaria; Nunn, Patrick D (March 2012). "Database 1: Tropical Cyclones (1558 - 1970)". Furious Winds and Parched Islands: Tropical Cyclones (1558–1970) and Droughts (1722–1987) in the Pacific. pp. 58–171. ISBN 978-1-4691-7008-4.
  4. ^ a b Visher, Stephen Sargent (1925). "Hurricanes in the Western South Pacific". Bulletin 20: Tropical Cyclones of the Pacific. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. pp. 37–38.hdl:2027/mdp.39015023271763
  5. ^ Gosai, Ashmita; Motilal, Simon (August 15, 2001). Information Sheet No. 125: List of Floods Occuring [sic] in the Fiji Islands: 1840 – 2000 (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-11.
  6. ^ Basher, Reid; Collen, Bronwen; Fitzharris, Blair; Hay, John; Mullan, Brett; Salinger, Jim (April 1992). "Appendix 4: Tropical Cyclones affecting the Southwest Pacific 1830 – 1989". Preliminary Studies for South Pacific Climate Change (PDF). The New Zealand Meteorological Service. p. 51. ISBN 047707345X.
  7. ^ https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/cyclone-threat-not-to-be-taken-lightly/
  8. ^ a b Kumar, Pradeep. Meteorological Event Report 90/1: Depression near Southern Cooks: November 8 - 10, 1989 (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service.
  9. ^ Waqaicelua, Alipate. Meteorological Event Report 90/2: Tropical Depression near Samoa: December 14 - 17, 1989 (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service.
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Sina TCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lashes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Woodward, Philip (December 1990). Trip to Rarotonga, Cook Islands (PDF) (SOPAC Trip Report 93). South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  13. ^ Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Summary 1996-97 (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. 1997. p. 11.
  14. ^ Final Report: Tropical Cyclone Season Summary Report (Submitted by Cook Islands). RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and the South-East Indian Ocean Eighth Session. 2000. p. Appendix VI, p. 12. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  15. ^ Special Weather Bulletin Number One for Southern Cooks on Tropical Cyclone Bart (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  16. ^ Fiji Meteorological Service (2018). Review of the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 Cyclone Seasons by RSMC Nadi. RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South-East Indian Ocean Seventeenth Session. World Meteorological Organisation. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.

External links edit

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