Monthly climate

Climate developments in December 2003

Active SPCZ further south than usual

Below average rainfall persists over much of the equatorial southwest Pacific

A large region of enhanced convection was associated with the monsoon over Indonesia, northern Australia, and Papua New Guinea. This extended east to merge with the ITCZ north of the equator and the SPCZ to the southeast. The SPCZ was displaced much further south of its mean location, extending from Papua New Guinea southeast to the Austral Islands of French Polynesia, including the Solomon Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa and the southern Cook Islands. It was more active than in recent months. Most locations in the SPCZ affected region recorded above average rainfall ranging from 200 to 450 mm.

It was very unsettled during December with at least 25 days with rainfall in parts of New Caledonia, the southeast of Fiji, Wallis and Futuna Islands, American Samoa, and the Austral Islands.

A large region of suppressed convection and below average rainfall (75% of less of normal) continued to encompass Western and Eastern Kiribati, and parts of northern French Polynesia.

December was the 10th consecutive month with below average rainfall in parts of Eastern Kiribati.

Air temperatures were 0.5 to 0.9°C above average on most islands between 10°N and 15°S, and at least 1.0°C above average in parts of Vanuatu, Western and Eastern Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, and the Marquesas and Society Islands. Elsewhere, temperatures were near average.

Climate extremes in December 2003