Timeline of the 1990–91 South Pacific cyclone season
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The 1990–91 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average season; only two tropical cyclones occurred within the South Pacific to the east of 160°E.[A 1] The season officially ran from November 1, 1990, to April 30, 1991, but the first disturbance of the season formed on November 23 and the last dissipated on May 19.[A 2] This is the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form within the South Pacific Ocean.[1] During the season, no one was killed from tropical disturbances within the South Pacific. However, six people were killed by Cyclone Joy when it made landfall on Australia. The only tropical cyclone to cause any damage while within this basin was Sina, which caused at least $18.5million (1991USD) worth of damage to Fiji and Tonga.[2] As a result of the impacts of both Joy and Sina, the names were retired from the tropical cyclone naming lists.[1]
Quick Facts Timeline of the 1990-91 South Pacific cyclone season, Season boundaries ...
Timeline of the 1990-91 South Pacific cyclone season
Within the South Pacific, tropical cyclones were monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers (TCWC) at the Fiji Meteorological Service in Nadi and by the Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited in Wellington. 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, while the NWOC issued warnings for tropical cyclones forming between the International Date Line and the coasts of the Americas. Both the JTWC and the NWOC-designated tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix with numbers assigned in numerical 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 ten minutes, while the JTWC and the NWOC measured sustained winds over 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, strengthenings, weakenings, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. Reports among warning centers often differ; therefore, information from all three agencies has been included.
As a result of the South Pacific Convergence Zone being both weaker and located further to the north than in previous seasons and the Madden–Julian oscillations being weaker and less regular defined than in previous tropical cyclone seasons.[2] As a result, only three tropical cyclones occurred within the South Pacific basin between 160°E and 120°W, which made the season one of the least active on record.[2][3] The first tropical cyclone was first noted as a shallow depression on November 20 before it was named Sina on November 24 after it had intensified into a tropical cyclone.[4] After peaking as a category three severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, Sina affected Fiji, Tonga, Niue and the Southern Cook Islands with total damage estimated at over 18.5million before it was last noted on December 4, as it was absorbed by an advancing trough of low pressure near 50°S.[2][5] During December 15, the precursor tropical low to Cyclone Joy developed near the Solomon Islands.[5] Over the next two days the system moved westwards, before it moved into the Australian region during December 17.[2] The system was subsequently named Joy on December 19, before it made landfall on Queensland during December 26.[2]
The basin then remained quiet until March when three significant tropical depressions including 15 and 16P were observed within the Coral Sea/Australian region, which did not develop into tropical cyclones but were subject to gale warnings.[6] 15P was first noted on March 3, while it was located about 900km (560mi) to the east of the Solomon Islands and over the next couple of days subsequently moved south-westwards and out of the South Pacific basin during the next day.[7] 16P was first noted on March 14, while located about 300km (185mi) to the southeast of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.[8][A 3] Over the next couple of days the system moved towards the south-east before the JTWC designated the system 16P and initiated advisories on it during March 18 after it had moved into the South Pacific basin.[9] Over the next couple of days the system, moved towards the south-southeast before it turned towards the southwest and passed over New Caledonia on March 20, before it was last noted during the next day moving out of the basin.[8] The final tropical cyclone of the season, Lisa, moved into the Southern Pacific on May 11 at its peak intensity of 110km/h (75mph).[2][5] During the next day as the storm moved towards the subtropical jet, Lisa rapidly weakened into a tropical depression before passing over Anatom Island without causing any significant damage.[2] After the season both the names Sina and Joy were retired from the naming lists for the region, while it was determined that a weak gale force tropical cyclone had affected Tonga between December 14–17.[1][3][10]
November
November 1
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– The 1990–91 South Pacific cyclone season officially begins.[1][A 4][A 5][A 6]
November 24
07:15UTC, (19:15FST)– TCWC Nadi initiates advisories on a tropical depression, that has developed to the northwest of the Fijian dependency of Rotuma.[11]
12:00UTC, (0000FST, November 25)– The JTWC designates the tropical depression to the northwest of Rotuma, as Tropical Cyclone 03P with 1-minute sustained wind speeds equivalent to a tropical storm.[9]
1910 UTC, (0710 FST, November 25)– TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Depression 03P, has intensified into a category 1 tropical cyclone and names it Sina.[11]
November 25
1800 UTC, (0600 FST, November 26)– TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina, has intensified into a category 2 tropical cyclone.[5]
November 26
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina (03P) has become a category 3 severe tropical cyclone.[5]
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina, has become equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.[12]
0600 UTC, (1800 FST)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has intensified further and has become a category 2 hurricane on the SSHWS.[12]
Track map of Severe Tropical Cyclone Sina
1200 UTC, (0000 FST, November 27)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has intensified further and become equivalent to a category 3 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.[12]
1800 UTC, (0600 FST, November 27)– TCWC Nadi reports that Severe Tropical Cyclone Sina, has reached its peak intensity with 10-minute sustained winds of 140km/h (85mph).[11]
1800 UTC, (0600 FST, November 27)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has intensified further and become equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the SSHWS.[12]
November 27
00:00UTC, (12:00FST)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has reached its peak intensity, with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 230km/h (145mph).[12]
November 28
00:00UTC, (12:00FST)– The JTWC issues its final advisory on Tropical Cyclone Sina and transfers the warning responsibility to the NWOC, as the system weakens and becomes equivalent to a category 3 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.[9][12]
12:00UTC, (00:00FST, November 29)– The NWOC issues its first advisory on Tropical Cyclone Sina.[9]
18:00UTC, (06:00FST, November 29)– The NWOC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has weakened and become equivalent to a category 2 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.[12]
November 29
00:00 UTC, (12:00 FST)– TCWC Nadi reports that Severe Tropical Cyclone Sina, has weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone.[5]
06:00 UTC, (18:00 FST)– The NWOC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina has weakened and become equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS.[12]
12:00 UTC, (00:00 FST, November 30)– The NWOC reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina (03P) has degenerated, into an extratropical cyclone and issues its final warning.[12]
November 30
19:15UTC, (07:15FST, December 1)– TCWC Nadi issues its final advisory on Tropical Cyclone Sina, and passes the primary warning responsibility for the system to TCWC Wellington, as the system moves below 25°S.[11]
December
Track map of Severe Tropical Cyclone Joy (06P)
December 1
0000UTC (1200FST)- TCWC Wellington reports that Tropical Cyclone Sina, has degenerated into an extratropical cyclone.[11]
December 4
1800UTC (0600FST, December 5)– The extratropical remnants of Tropical Cyclone Sina are last noted by TCWC Wellington, as they are absorbed by a trough of low pressure.[2][5]
December 15
1800 UTC, (0600 FST December 16)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 06P has formed 535km (330mi) southeast of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.[13]
December 17
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– TCWC Nadi designates Tropical Depression 06P as a tropical depression.[5]
1200 UTC, (0000 FST December 18)–TCWC Nadi and the JTWC report that Tropical Depression 06P has moved into the Australian region, where it is later named as Joy.[5][13]
January and February
There were no tropical disturbances reported within the South Pacific Ocean during January and February 1991.
March
March 15
1800 UTC, (0600 FST March 16)– Tropical Depression 16P moves into the South Pacific from the Australian region.[8]
March 21
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Depression 16P has dissipated.[8]
April
April 30
1200 UTC, (0000 FST, May 1)– The 1990–91 South Pacific cyclone season officially ends.[1]
May
Track map of Tropical Cyclone Lisa (21P)
May 11
1200 UTC, (0000 FST, May 12)– TCWC Nadi reports that Tropical Cyclone Lisa (21P) has moved into the South Pacific from the Australian region, while at its peak intensity as a category 2 tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 110km/h (70mph).[5][14]
May 12
1200 UTC, (12:00 FST), May 13)– TCWC Nadi issues its final advisory on Tropical Cyclone Lisa as it weakens into a depression.[14]
1200 UTC, (00:00 FST, May 13)– The JTWC reports that Tropical Storm Lisa (21P) has weakened into a tropical depression.[15]
1800 UTC, (0600 FST, May 13)– Depression Lisa (21P) passes over Anatom Island, Vanuatu.[2]
1800 UTC, (06:00 FST, May 13)– TCWC Nadi reports that Depression Lisa (21P) has weakened into an extratropical cyclone.[2]
May 19
0000 UTC, (1200 FST)– The extratropical remnants of Tropical Cyclone Lisa are last noted by TCWC Wellington as they dissipate.[2][5]
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
The figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (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.
Terry, James P (2007). "Appendix 1". Tropical cyclones: climatology and impacts in the South Pacific. Springer. pp.188–191. ISBN978-0-387-71542-1. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
Darwin Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (1991). "March 1991"(PDF). Darwin Tropical Diagnostic Statement. 10 (3). Australian Bureau of Meteorology: 3. ISSN1321-4233. Archived from the original(PDF) on April 20, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
Prasad, Rajendra; Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (July 3, 1992). Tropical Cyclone Sina, November 24 - 30, 1990(PDF) (Tropical Cyclone Report 90/6). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
