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:

Unusually low December rainfall was recorded at: