2004–05 South Pacific cyclone season
Tropical cyclone season / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2004–05 South Pacific cyclone season was an above-average season in which tropical cyclones formed within the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially ran from November 1, 2004 to April 30, 2005, however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2005 and would count towards the season total. The season got off to an early start, when Tropical Depression 01F developed near the Solomon Islands on October 28, three days before the official start of the season. The final disturbance of the season dissipated as the season was drawing to a close on May 1. The season was above-average in terms of activity, with 9 tropical cyclones and 5 severe tropical cyclones forming during the season. The season featured Cyclone Percy, the most intense of the season in terms of pressure.
2004–05 South Pacific cyclone season | |
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Seasonal boundaries | |
First system formed | October 28, 2004 |
Last system dissipated | May 1, 2005 |
Strongest storm | |
Name | Percy |
• Maximum winds | 230 km/h (145 mph) (10-minute sustained) |
• Lowest pressure | 900 hPa (mbar) |
Seasonal statistics | |
Total disturbances | 18 |
Total depressions | 17 |
Tropical cyclones | 9 |
Severe tropical cyclones | 5 |
Total fatalities | None |
Total damage | $55 million (2005 USD) |
Related articles | |
South Pacific tropical cyclone seasons 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 |
During the season, tropical cyclones are officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Armed Forces through the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also monitors the basin and issue unofficial warnings for American interests. The FMS attaches a number and an F suffix to tropical disturbances that form in or move into the basin while the JTWC designates significant tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix. The FMS, BoM and MetService all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate wind speeds over a period of ten minutes, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).