Monthly climate
El Niño continues to enhance convection and rainfall over Kiribati
Extremely low rainfall in New Caledonia and parts of French Polynesia
The SPCZ remained near its average location about and west of the date line, with enhanced convection from the Solomon Islands across to Tuvalu, northern Vanuatu, and the sea area northwest of Fiji. This region merged with the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which was enhanced over Kiribati and the central equatorial Pacific.
Episodes of equatorial surface westerlies over Western Kiribati, that have been enhancing the ENSO linked convection in that region, were much less frequent than in recent months. The SPCZ resumed its activity further east, but was further south than average, extending from the region north of Fiji across to the Southern Cook Islands.
Rainfall was at least 200% of average in localised parts of Vanuatu, and at least 125% average in Western Kiribati, parts of Tonga and the Southern Cook Islands.
Convection was less suppressed over Indonesia, and Australia than in recent months. However, rainfall continued below average from Queensland across the southern Coral Sea to New Caledonia, where totals were less than 25% of average in many areas. There was no rainfall at all in Koumac, New Caledonia, and this site recorded only 10 mm during October. A large region of suppressed convection and well below average rainfall also persisted over the Northern Cook Islands extending to affect much of French Polynesia, totals being less than 50% of average at many locations.
Climate extremes in November 2002
| Country | Location | Rainfall (mm) | % of average | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Townsville | 1 | 2 | Extremely low |
| Australia | Norfolk Island | 7 | 10 | Extremely low |
| New Caledonia | Koumac | 0 | 0 | Record low |
| New Caledonia | Ouloup | 12 | 12 | Extremely low |
| New Caledonia | Ouanaham | 12 | 11 | Well below average |
| New Caledonia | La Roche | 19 | 18 | Extremely low |
| New Caledonia | La Tontouta | 2 | 4 | Extremely low |
| Fiji | Ba/Rarawai Mill | 38 | 26 | Extremely low |
| Fiji | Penang Mill | 27 | 17 | Extremely low |
| French Polynesia | Bora Bora | 27 | 12 | Record low |
| French Polynesia | Rapa | 46 | 24 | Record low |
Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) anomalies, in Wm-2 , for November 2002 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 lower the OLR (blue) and typically mean higher rainfalls. The November 2002 position of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), as identified from total rainfall, is indicated by the solid green line. The average climatological position of the SPCZ is identified by the dashed green line. Data source: NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center.