Monthly climate
Climate developments in November 2001
Very active SPCZ brings high rainfall to many islands
Low rainfall from coastal Queensland in Australia, across to Vanuatu
A very strong El Niño-like OLR/rainfall anomaly pattern was evident in December in the west of the region, as a broad band of enhanced convection occurred in equatorial regions from north of Papua-New Guinea east through Nauru, Western Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tokelau, and southeast to the Northern Cook Islands and much of French Polynesia. Convection was also enhanced over Samoa, northern Tonga, and the North Island of New Zealand. Most locations within these regions recorded 150-200% of their average December rainfall. The very high tropical rainfalls (many of at least 500 mm) were associated with a very active SPCZ, which was slightly north of its average position, from the Solomon Islands across to Tokelau and east to French Polynesia. Nanumea in Tuvalu experienced rainfall every day of the month, while Tarawa in Western Kiribati recorded 28 days with rainfall. High OLR anomalies and well below average rainfall (less than 50% of average) occurred along the Queensland coast across the Coral Sea to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Rainfall was also well below average in the Kermadec’s, Southern Cook Islands and Marquesas Island.
Record high overnight minimum air temperatures, as high as 28°C, were measured at several Fiji locations (Navua and Viwa) on 28 and 29 December.
Very high December rainfall was recorded at:
| Country | Location | Rainfall,mm | % of average | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Cook Islands | Manihiki | 659 | 226 | Very high |
| Fiji | Lakeba | 530 | 291 | Extremely high |
| Samoa | Faleolo | 632 | 205 | Very high |
| Samoa | Apia | 729 | 195 | Very high |
| Western Kiribati | Tarawa | 463 | 229 | 3rd highest |
| Tuvalu | Nanumea | 604 | 188 | Very high |
| French Polynesia | Tahiti-Faaa | 545 | 203 | Very high |
Unusually low December rainfall was recorded at:
| Country | Location | Rainfall,mm | % of average | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Townsville Airport | <1 | <1 | Record low |
| New Zealand | Raoul Island | 19 | 14 | Very low |
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation and Rainfall Anomalies for December 2001 Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) anomalies, in Wm-2 are represented by shaded areas, and rainfall percentage of average, shown by numbers. High radiation levels (yellow) are typically associated with clearer skies and lower rainfall, while cloudy conditions (blue) lower the OLR and typically mean higher rainfalls. The position of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), as identified from total rainfall, is indicated by the green line. The average position of the SPCZ is identified by the dashed green line. OLR data source: NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center.