Island Climate Update 69 - June 2006

Summary of the 2005-06 tropical cyclone season
S Burgess, NIWA
Figure 1: The number of Southwest Pacific tropical cyclones for the 2005-06 season (solid red bar) compared to frequencies during past 30 years. The horizontal green line indicates the 30-year average. Not including Kate, which remained west of 150 E.
Figure 2.

An overview of the present climate in the tropical South Pacific Islands, with an outlook for the coming months, to assist in dissemination of climate information in the Pacific region.
Number 69 – June 2006
May’s climate
South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) further south than average
Suppressed convection from Nauru to Eastern Kiribati
High rainfall in parts of central French Polynesia
Very dry in southern Tonga
Temperature: above average in parts of Tonga, and French Polynesia; below average in New Caledonia
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and seasonal rainfall for

Climate developments in May 2006
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for May 2006. (Click for enlargement and detail)
The SPCZ was displaced further south than average during May, extending from the Coral Sea east towards Vanuatu, and across the Date Line southeast to the Austral Islands of Southern French Polynesia. Enhanced convection occurred within the SPCZ region, as well as over much of New Caledonia.
Rainfall was at least 150% of average throughout much of central French Polynesia, and near or above average over much of Vanuatu. Rainfall was above average in Niue.

Tropical rainfall outlook: June to August 2006
Rainfall outlook map for June to August 2006.

Tropical pacific rainfall - May 2006
Territory and station name
May 2006 rainfall
total (mm)
May 2006 percent
of average
Australia
Cairns Airport
48.0
50
Townsville Airport
28.4
79
Brisbane Airport
10.0
10
Sydney Airport
26.8
28
Cook Islands
Penrhyn
189.4
103
Rarotonga EWS
118.0
70
Rarotonga Airport
128.5
76
Fiji
Rotuma
321.9
109
Udu Point
100.8
60
Nadi
229.4
258
Nausori
340.5
137
Ono-I-Lau
77.8
76
French Polynesia
Hiva Hoa, Atuona
133.8
85
Bora Bora Motu
132.4
119
Tahiti – Faa’a
432.2
420
Tuamotu, Takaroa
90.4
103
Tuam

Sources of South Pacific rainfall data
This bulletin is a multi-national project with important collaboration from the following Pacific nations:
American Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Island
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Requests for Pacific island climate data should be directed to the Meteorological Services concerned.
Acknowledgements
This bulletin is made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), Wellington, New Zealand, wi