Island Climate Update 79 - April 2007

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 79 – April 2007
March’s climate
South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) near its normal location,, with enhanced convection from the region south of the Solomon Islands east to central and southern French Polynesia.
Extremely wet in Niue, and very high rainfall in the Southern Cook Islands and parts of Fiji and Tonga
Suppressed convection affecting Nauru, the Northern Cook Islands and parts of

Drought in New Caledonia
Luc Maitrepierre, Meteo-France, Noumea, New Caledonia
Rainfall Assessment in New Caledonia from June 2006 to February 2007
  Percentage of rainfall average.(Click for enlargement)
Rainfall monthly anomalies recorded in New Caledonia. (Click for enlargement)
A very low amount of rainfall was recorded in New Caledonia from June 2006 to February 2007, linked with the El Niño event that ended by February 2007.

Climate developments in March 2007
  Outgoing Long-wave Radiation anomalies for March 2007. (Click for enlargement and detail)
The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) was located near its normal location in March, with enhanced convection extending from the region south of the Solomon Islands east across Fiji and Samoa to central and southern French Polynesia, including Tonga, Niue, and the Southern Cook Islands. A double Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) pattern existed in March, both north and south of the Equator.

Tropical rainfall outlook: April to June 2007
  Rainfall outlook map for April to June 2007.

Tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone Becky occurred from 26–29 March, the first named tropical cyclone since Arthur (24–26 January), and the fifth named tropical cyclone this season. Tropical cyclone Becky developed in the Coral Sea south of the Solomon Islands, and tracked southeast toward Vanuatu, and later toward the region southeast of New Caledonia (with estimated maximum sustained wind speeds over the sea being 130 km/h with gusts to 160 km/h).

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 produced by NIWA and made possible with financial support from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), with addi