Fiji Climate Summary December 2019
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FIJI METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE ISO 9001:2015 Private Mail Bag (NAP0351) Fiji Climate Summary certified Climate Nadi Airport, Fiji Services Ph: +679 6724888 Fax: +679 6724050 Email: [email protected] December 2019 Also online at: http://www.met.gov.fj Issued: January 9, 2020 Since : August 1980* Volume 40 : Issue 12 1. IN BRIEF The El Niño Southern Oscillation continued to be in a neu- with 275mm and Natawa with 250mm, all on the same day. tral state during December 2019. The main weather feature Furthermore, Vunisea registered a record breaking Decem- for the month was tropical cyclone Sarai. ber’s daily rainfall for the station since observation began in 1929 with 212mm on the 27th. Tropical depression, TD03F, the predecessor of tropical cyclone Sarai, affected the Fiji group with heavy rainfall on Sarai also resulted in very high intensity rainfall with Qawa th the 26 , especially in the Northern Division. Saqani re- and Vaturekuka in Labasa registering hourly rainfall of ceived 144mm of rainfall, followed by Vaturekuka with 76mm and 65mm, respectively, at 10am (Fiji Standard th 117mm and Udu Point with 116mm, all on the 26 . Time - FST) on the 28th, followed by Monasavu with 64mm at 6pm (FST) on the 27th and Nadarivatu with 56mm at After attaining tropical cyclone intensity on the 27th, Sarai 7pm (FST) on the 27th. Consequently, several places were passed to the west of the Fiji Group, before making an east- flooded. erly turn on the south of Kadavu in the early hours of the 28th, passing through the Lau Group in a southeasterly di- Apart from the rainfall brought by Sarai in the last week of rection and exiting the Fiji Waters by 30th. the month, it was comparatively drier than usual for most part of the month across the country. Tropical cyclone Sarai attained a maximum intensity of Category 2, resulting in storm to gale force winds in several parts of the Fiji Group. The highest sustained wind was at Yasawa-i-Rara with 89km/hr, closely followed by Vunisea with 75 km/hr. The highest wind gust was at Vunisea with 117km/hr, followed by Yasawa-i-Rara with 113km/hr. Tropical cyclone Sarai resulted in significant rainfall across the country. Monasavu registered 355mm of rainfall on the 27th, followed by Nadarivatu with 327mm, Waikubukubu 2. WEATHER PATTERNS A high pressure system to the far southeast of Fiji directed west with cloud and showers on the 18th. An east to south- an east to southeast wind flow over the group with fine east wind flow prevailed over the group from the 19th till weather apart from brief showers from the 1st till the 4th. the 25th with mostly fine humid weather over the group. A trough of low pressure affected the group from the west TD03F affected Fiji from the northwest on the 26th with on the 5th and 6th with cloud and showers. An easterly wind heavy rain, strong and gusty winds. On the 27th, TD 03F flow prevailed from the 6th till the 9th with fine weather intensified into a Category 1 tropical cyclone just to the apart from brief showers over most places. northwest of Fiji and was subsequently named Sarai. Gale to storm force winds with continuous heavy rainfall affect- A wind change of south to southwest established over the ed Fiji over the western and southern parts as Sarai tracked group on the 10th till the 12th before it turned southeast on through the Fiji group. the 13th & 14th, resulting in fine weather, apart from brief showers, over most places. Fine weather returned to most parts of the country on the 31st, apart from the Lau group, where it was cloudy with A trough of low pressure affected the group from west on some showers and fresh to strong southerly winds. the 15th and spread to the rest of the group on the 16th , re- sulting in cloudy periods and showers. An east to southeast wind flow prevailed over the group with fine weather apart from brief showers on the 17th. A trough of low pressure affected the group from the north- *Previously known as the Fiji Islands Weather Summary and Monthly Weather Summary 1 Fiji Climate Summary - December 2019 Volume 40 : Issue 12 3. RAINFALL In general, most parts of the country received average or 327mm, Waikubukubu with 275mm and Natawa with above average rainfall during December. Out of the 27 sta- 250mm. Furthermore, Vunisea registered a record break- tions, 4 recorded below average rainfall, 13 average, 8 above ing December’s daily rainfall for the station since observa- average, while Vunisea and Matuku received well above tions began in 1929 with 212mm on the 27th (Table 1). average rainfall (Table 2). At times intense precipitation was registered during the The highest total monthly rainfall during the month was rec- passage of tropical cyclone Sarai with Qawa and Vature- orded at Monasavu with 833mm, followed by Nadarivatu kuka in Labasa registering hourly rainfall of 76mm and with 771mm, Tokotoko (Navua) with 590mm, Lomaivuna 65mm, respectively, at 10am on the 28th, followed by with 554mm and Saqani with 400mm. On the contrary, the Monasavu with 64mm at 6pm on the 27th and Nadarivatu lowest total monthly rainfall was received at Yasawa-i-Rara with 56mm at 7pm on the 27th. with 140mm, followed by Rakiraki with 158mm, Lautoka Mill with 159mm and Momi with 162mm. Koronivia recorded the highest number of rain days (≥0.1) with 26 days, followed by Lomaivuna and Nasinu with Tropical cyclone Sarai and its predecessor tropical depres- both 25, Rotuma and Monasavu with both 24, Nausori sion, TD 03F, resulted in significant rainfall across the coun- Airport and RKS (Lodoni) with both 23. In contrast, Momi try from the 26th to the 29th. Some places registered very registered only 6 rain days, followed by Labasa Airport heavy rainfall on the 26th, especially in the Northern Divi- and Lautoka Mill with both 9, and Rarawai Mill and Viwa sion, whereby Saqani recorded 24-hour rainfall of 144mm, with both 10. followed by Vaturekuka with 117mm, Udu-Point with 116mm and Viwa with 106mm. As TD 03F intensified into a tropical cyclone on the 27th, rainfall became even more intense. Monasavu registered 355mm of rainfall on the 27th, followed by Nadarivatu with Figure 1 Normal: Long term average from 1971 to 2000 Average: Rainfall between 80 to 119% Well Below Average: Rainfall less than 40% of normal Above Average: Rainfall between 120 to 199% Below Average: Rainfall between 40 to 79% Well Above Average: Rainfall greater than or equal to 200% of normal Rain Day: Rainfall ≥ 0.1mm 2 Fiji Climate Summary - December 2019 Volume 40 : Issue 12 4. AIR TEMPERATURES A. Maximum Daytime Air Temperatures B. Minimum Night-time Air Temperatures Generally normal to above normal mean monthly maxi- Normal to above normal minimum air temperatures were mum air temperatures were recorded during the month. recorded at most of the places during the month. Out of Of the 21 climate stations that reported in for the prepa- the 21 stations, 14 recorded anomalies ≥+0.5°C, 5 within ration of this summary, 14 stations reported above nor- ±0.5°C, while Labasa Airfield and Ono-i-Lau were the mal temperatures (anomalies ≥+0.5°C), 6 normal only two stations that had anomalies ≤ -0.5°C (Table 2 & (within ±0.5°C) temperatures, while Udu Point was the Figures 2-5). lone station that registered below normal (≤ -0.6°C) temperature (Table 2 & Figures 2-5). The coolest minimum air temperature on average was at Nadarivatu with 18.4°C, followed by Monasavu with The warmest days on average were at Seaqaqa and Mo- 19.1°C, Labasa Airport with 20.5°C and Keiyasi with mi with both 33.0°C, followed by Keiyasi with 32.9°C, 21.7°C. On the other hand, warmest nights on average Rarawai Mill (Ba) with 32.8°C and Yaqara with 32.7°C. was at Rotuma with 26.9°C, followed by Yasawa-i-Rara On the contrary, the coolest day-time temperatures on with 25.7°C, Viwa with 26.4°C and Nabouwalu with average was recorded at Monasavu with 25.7°C, fol- 24.9°C. lowed by Nadarivatu with 26.3°C, and Vunisea and Matuku with both 29.7°C. The lowest night-time temperature was registered at Na- darivatu with 14.2°C on the 12th, followed by Monasavu Momi registered the highest daily maximum air temper- with 15.5°C on the 1st, Rarawai Mill (Ba) with 17.2°C on ature for the month with 36.9°C on the 29th, followed by the 2nd and Nacocolevu with 17.9°C on the 4th. On the Keiyasi with 36.4°C on the 8th, Rakiraki with 36.0°C on contrary, the warmest minimum air temperature during the 22nd and Nacocolevu with 35.5°C on the 18th. Over- the month was recorded at Rotuma with 28.1°C on the cast condition due to tropical cyclone Sarai resulted in 29th, followed by Yasawa-i-Rara, Savusavu Airfield and maximum air temperatures to fall with most of the sta- Nabouwalu with all 26.6°C. tions registering the month’s lowest minimum air tem- perature between the period 26th to the 29th. Nadarivatu There was no new minimum air temperature record dur- recorded the coolest day-time temperature with 22.5°C ing the month. on the 28th, followed by Monasavu with 23.0°C on the 29th and Ono-i-Lau with 26.5°C on the 29th.