Tropical Cyclone Update
There were three tropical cyclones in March. Tropical cyclone Percy, which affected Tokelau was, the seventh named cyclone for the season. This was followed by Rae (near the Southern Cook Islands) on 6 March, and then Ingrid, which formed in the Coral Sea south of Papua New Guinea and then tracked west over Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria. The May issue of the ICU will provide a summary of tropical cyclones for the season.
Tropical pacific rainfall - March 2005
| Territory and station name | March 2005 rainfall total (mm) | Long-term average (mm) | March 2005 percent of average | Lowest on record (mm) | Highest on record (mm) | Records began |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | ||||||
| Pago Pago Airport | 325.6 | 288 | 113 | 1966 | ||
| Australia | ||||||
| Cairns Airport | 429.4 | 449 | 96 | 28 | 1128 | 1941 |
| Townsville Airport | 33.4 | 212 | 16 | 7 | 683 | 1940 |
| Brisbane Airport | 21.0 | 139 | 15 | 6 | 414 | 1929 |
| Sydney Airport | 78.4 | 129 | 61 | 1929 | ||
| Cook Islands | ||||||
| Penryhn | 56.4 | 309 | 18 | 61 | 761 | 1937 |
| Mauke | 33 | 142 | 23 | 1 | 488 | 1929 |
| Rarotonga Airport | 182.2 | 170 | 107 | 23 | 348 | 1929 |
| Rarotonga EWS | 190.6 | 170 | 112 | 90 | 310 | 2000 |
| Fiji | ||||||
| Rotuma | 280.8 | 369 | 76 | 89 | 1006 | 1912 |
| Udu Point | 83.8 | 320 | 26 | 1946 | ||
| Nadi | 201.6 | 341 | 59 | 75 | 918 | 1942 |
| Nausori | 461.1 | 382 | 121 | 145 | 823 | 1956 |
| Ono-i-Lau | 194.9 | 253 | 77 | 16 | 646 | 1943 |
| French Polynesia | ||||||
| Hiva Hoa, Atuona | 87.8 | 102 | 86 | 17 | 239 | 1951 |
| Tahiti – Faaa | 112.4 | 180 | 62 | 10 | 941 | 1919 |
| Tuamotu, Takaroa | 35.4 | 131 | 27 | 40 | 394 | 1953 |
| Tuamotu, Hereheretue | 54.3 | 189 | 29 | 28 | 657 | 1962 |
| Gambier, Rikitea | 283.2 | 179 | 158 | 13 | 345 | 1952 |
| Tubuai | 201.4 | 227 | 89 | 51 | 574 | 1953 |
| Rapa | 231 | 260 | 89 | 74 | 693 | 1951 |
| Kiribati | ||||||
| Tarawa | 407.1 | 199 | 205 | 1 | 724 | 1946 |
| New Zealand | ||||||
| Kaitaia | 7.4 | 76 | 10 | 8 | 226 | 1985 |
| Whangarei Aiport | 15.6 | 127 | 12 | 3 | 437 | 1937 |
| Auckland Airport | 39.8 | 82 | 49 | 8 | 194 | 1962 |
| New Caledonia | ||||||
| tIle Art, Belep | 159 | 216 | 74 | 61 | 612 | 1962 |
| Koumac | 183.4 | 142 | 129 | 11 | 381 | 1951 |
| Ouloup | 203.2 | 220 | 92 | 31 | 819 | 1966 |
| Ouanaham | 218.4 | 236 | 93 | 48 | 551 | 1961 |
| Poindimie | 247.4 | 401 | 62 | 98 | 833 | 1965 |
| La Roche | 164.4 | 207 | 79 | 5 | 441 | 1956 |
| La Tontouta | 67.2 | 131 | 51 | 2 | 339 | 1949 |
| Noumea | 72.4 | 146 | 50 | 8 | 576 | 1863 |
| Moue | 135.2 | 203 | 67 | 24 | 490 | 1972 |
| North Tasman | ||||||
| Lord Howe Island | 96.8 | 124 | 78 | 5 | 425 | 1886 |
| Norfolk Island | 43.2 | 110 | 39 | 14 | 473 | 1921 |
| Raoul Island | 97.2 | 162 | 60 | 6 | 601 | 1937 |
| Samoa | ||||||
| Faleola | 121.5 | 264 | 46 | 106 | 523 | 1951 |
| Apia | 195.3 | 356 | 55 | 85 | 1297 | 1890 |
| Tokelau | ||||||
| Nukunonu | 164.0 | 235 | 0 | 678 | 1946 | |
| Tuvalu | ||||||
| Nanumea | 135.9 | 337 | 40 | 6 | 909 | 1941 |
| Nui Is | 181.3 | 359 | 51 | 71 | 1393 | 1941 |
| Funafuti | 257 | 376 | 68 | 82 | 1293 | 1927 |
| Nuilakita Island | 327.2 | 370 | 88 | 99 | 1019 | 1941 |
| Vanuatu | ||||||
| Sola | 228.7 | 410 | 56 | 190 | 971 | 1958 |
| Pekoa | 205.7 | 341 | 60 | 25 | 664 | 1951 |
| Lamap | 105.5 | 279 | 38 | 74 | 572 | 1960 |
| Bauerfield | 216.6 | 316 | 69 | 125 | 571 | 1985 |
| Port Vila | 195.4 | 326 | 60 | 89 | 708 | 1947 |
| Aneityum | 253.2 | 338 | 75 | 56 | 841 | 1958 |
| Wallis & Futuna | ||||||
| Wallis Island, Hihifo | 226 | 318 | 71 | 119 | 696 | 1951 |
| Maopoopo, Futuna Island | 246.8 | 326 | 76 |
Rainfall totalling 200 percent or more is normally well above average. Totals of 40 percent or less are normally well below average. Highlighted values are new records.
Data are as received and may be subject to change with later quality control. The data in italics are obtained from synoptic weather reports and can sometimes differ from the true values, due to communications or station outage, etc. Superscripts represent days of missing data.