lli.

TUVALU'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

LA. Rodgers Department of Geology University of Auckland and Carol Cantrell Library Australian Museum

ABSTRACT

Published, systematic, meteorological data for the nine atolls of Tuvalu, central Pacific, are both incomplete and widely scattered through the literature. In part this is a result of the administrative responsibility for the stations having changed over the years. Over one hundred annotated references spanning 1829 to the present are cited which contain data or oth~r material relevant to Tuvalu's weather and climate. Included are several recent su mm aries of the general environment of the atolls as well as accounts of the effects and aftermath of hurrica nes.

INTRODUCTION

Tuvalu consists of a chain of nine small islands and atolls scattered o 0 over some 600 km along a roughly NNW-SSE bearing between 5 and 10.5 S o 0 latitude and 176 and 179.5 E longitude. Apart from the similar island chain of Kiribati to the nort h and east, the nearest land is Rotuma 400km to the SW with the main islands of Fiji a further 200 km south. The Phoenix and Tokelau Groups are about 700 km east while t he Santa Cruz islands are the first landfall 1500 km west. From north to south the islands are Nanumea, Niutao, Nanumanga, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukefetau, Funafuti, Nukuiaelae, Niulakita.

S. Pac. J. Nat. Sci., 1987, Vol. 9 111-142 112.

The position of Tuvalu's islands due so u th of the equator and o immediately west of the 180 meridian, in an otherwise empty expanse of 2 over 2,000,000 km of the central Pacific, makes them important meteorological stations. In particular, they straddle part of a broad band in which many tropical cyclones have their origin (Hutchings 1953; Gabites 1960).

Systematic meteorological records are available for the group from 1931. While copies of this information for some of the islands stations, over some of the elapsed period since then, may be obtained from meteorological authorities in the United Kingdom, Fij i and New Zealand, published data is widely dispersed and somewhat incomplete. In part this is a result of administrative responsibility for the station~ in Tuvalu/Ellice Isla nds having changed over the years. However, it is also apparent that each authority has not always published the same data from the stations in the same reference source during the period each has exercised control. Gaps appear in the published record even in the last fifteen years.

As meteorological information is of interest to a wide range of Pacific researchers other than meteorologists, the following compilation of published sources has been brought together and anno tations included to indicate what material may be obtained from each reference. Neither compiler is a meteorologist. The information was acquired in the course of making other studies connected with Tuvalu. No claims are made for completeness and wh~le meteorological authorities in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia provided invaluable advice and information, the authors bear all responsibility for any errors which exist.

The first published records from the group are those of Duperry (1829) while those given by Russell (1904) for two months of 1896 are the earliest data covering a protracted period. The earliest regular records held by the National Meteorological Archives at Bracknell, Berkshire, are for Vaitupu for 1931 until June 1932 and may be found in summarised form in the short-lived Blue Book of the Colony (Great 113.

Britain 19xxb). It is nQt clear under what authority these observations were made but they were received by >the Colonial Office via the Harbour-master at Suva, who presumably acted for the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific, in his capacity as Government Meteorologist of Fiji.

The station was transferred from Vaitupu to Funafuti on 16 June 1932. Records from this time on are available in a number of different forms. In 1941 the Suva Harbour - master handed over his meteorological responsibilities to a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force who had been seconded by the New Zealand Government to reorganise the service in both Fiji and e l sewhere in the Western Pacific. The Ellice Islands, as Tuvalu was then named, were of course in the front line of the Pacific War, the Japanese having captured Kiribati as far south as Apemana, just north of the equator .

The New Zealand Meteorological Service took over responsibility for the stations in the group after the war. A letter from the Service notes that they have on record data as fol l ows:

rainfall temperature Funafuti 1941 on 1947 on Niulakita 1945 on 1957 on Nui 1941 on 1947 on Nanumea 1947 on 1983 on

However, not all these data are readily available in the published literature whi l e d~ta from other atolls have appeared in recent years. No analysis of what is available and whe re is attempted here. Users of this bibliographic compilation will become aware of a hiatus in published detailed information between cessation of the An nual Meteoro logical Summary by the New Zealand Meteorological Service (1947-71) i n 1971 and commencement of publication of various data in Misce llaneous Publications 109 , 110, 163 in 1977 to 1980 and 176 in 1981 on. In answer to a query on this point the New Zeala nd Services was unable to indicate where this information mi ght be accessed in the 114. literature. Some is available in non-meteorological publications such as Chambers (1984).

Tuvalu lies sufficiently south of the equator to be relatively unaffected by the periodic droughts experienced in Kiribati on a more or less regular five to seven year cycle, although on rare occasions the equatorial dry episodes have been sufficiently abnormal to affect the northernmost islands of Tuvalu. Otherwise, the climate of the group is characterised by a uniformity of temperatures and an abundant rainfall. Light to moderate easterly trades prevail from March to

October with northerly and westerly gales and accompanying r~ins becoming frequent from November to February . Annual rainfall varies bet ween 2500 and 3500 mm with December to March being the wettest months and May to September the driest. An excellent review of the climate is contained in Seeyle (1943). The New Zealand Meteorological Service published a comprehensive survey of the weather and c limate shortly after submission of the original manuscript of the present compilation.

Because of the profound effect climate has on the very existence and continued growth of these islands, a number of recent accounts concerned with the consequences and environmental af termath of hurricanes in Tuvalu have been included along with some concerned with the general environment and descriptions of geological deposits which may owe their origins to c limatic factors. In both these connections, and i nsofar as the bulk of the references annotated here are concerned, few a r e given in Rodgers (1985) which contained a relatively small meteorological input. Many of the present citations were drawn to the authors I attentions as a result of publication of that earlier bibliography.

As non-meteorologists the authors were intrigued by the lack of precise records on hurricanes in the group. Rooke (1886 ) is included here as providing the sole published record to the storm of 1886 which he referred to as a hurricane. Perhaps this is the same storm as described in Dana (1935). A hurricane in 1891 is noted in Schott 115.

(1938 ). It is not re fe rred to elsewhere. A well d oc umented descri ption of an extremely s evere storm in the vicinity of Funafuti c . 30 October 1894 is g iven by Festetics de Tolna (1903).

That there was a major hurricane affecting Funafuti in the early 1980s is no t in doubt, but whether it occurred in 1891 (e . g . Schott, 1938) or at a latter date is less clear. The reason for the confusion appears t o ha ve resulted from the absence of all bar one of the population of Fonga fale when the storm struck. A manuscript entitled "Alone in a Hu rricane " by Reynolds is believed to exist which gives a n eye-witness account. However, it was not found by the authors during the present su rvey . In this connection, the description and record of an extremely severe storm in the vicinity of Funafuti c .30 October 1894 by Festetics de To lna (1903) can be noted , although the date seems well r emoved from 18 91.

Wh ile many of the physical effects and biological consequen ces of Bebe i n 1 9 72 have been well documented the authors were unaware that any eye-wi tness account of that storm existed until finding Rawlins ' (1972) F r enc h language account occurring in the limited circulation Sout h Pac i f i c Commission Fisheries Information Letter . The importance of th is a cc oun t is such tha t a translation is given here by way of an a ppe nd i x to the present bibliography .

Fu rther, the documentation of Hurricane Bebe by Askenov (1975) seems to have been overlooked by most western students of this storm .

Th e problem in putting precise dates on these major storms , pa r t i c ula rl y those of last century, is c ompounded by two other factors : lay me n tend to u se the term "hurricane" for any large, spectacular sto rm occ urring in these l a titudes, while such storms can be extremely local i sed in their more spectacular manifestations. Both points are ably illustr a ted by the storm of De c ember 1984 . The "Information Sheet" a vailabl e to visitors in the Vaiaku Lagi Hotel , Funafuti refers t o th i s e v e nt as " the hurricane o f 1984". Enquiries a mong lo c al resident s i n August 1986 elicited replies rang ing from disbelief that 116. any such storm had occurre d to memories of some major "blow". The clinically objective account of Tadulala (1985) may be read with these points in mind.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to thank those various people who supp li ed information. In particular Sam Rawlins of Funafuti, K.J.A. Revfeim, Professor Roger McLean, New Zealand Meteorological Service, B.T.C.Good, Meteorological Office of the United Kingdom, and the Reference and Interlibrary Loan staff of the National Library of Australia, the University of Auckland, the Australian Museum, the Mitchell and State Libraries of New South Wales, the University of th e South Pacific, the National Archives of Fiji, the National Archives and Library of Tuvalu, the Leningrad Public Library and man y other libraries and librarians who are deserving of mention for their patience with our many queries, in particular Ms Gwen Baker-Lowry of the Australian Museum. Funds were provided by the University of Auckland Research Committee and the Research Distribution Committee of the Ne w Zealand Lottery Board.

An early version of this manuscript is o n f i le a t the Meteorological Office of the United Kingdom, National Archives, Berk shire.

U8.

Cook, P.J. 1975. Prospects for finding offshore phosphate deposits in the south-west Pacific (Project CCSP-l/REG.ll). In: Econ omic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , Proceedings of the Third Session £i Committee i££ Co-ordination £i Joint Prospecting iQ£ ~~~~£~l ~~~Q~££~~ in ~Q~~~ f~£ii~£ Qii~Q£~ ~£~~~ (CCOP/SOPAC), Apia, Western Samoa 1974, 75-85. [Tuvalu lies in area under consideration with fig 11 -3, p.80 show i ng ocean currents and areas of upwelling, fig 11-4, p.81 temperatures of surface and subsurface waters, and fig 11-5, p.82 the temperature difference between surface and subsurface water at 400m depth].

Coulter, J.D. 1980. Extreme one-day rainfalls in Tuvalu and Kiribati. Fiji Meteorological Service Technical Notes, 12, 5pp.

Coulter, J.D. and Hessell, J.W.D. 1980. Th e frequency of high intensity rainfalls in New Zealand Part II: Point estimates. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 16 2, 76pp. [Data from Funafuti p.53].

Country report 1980-81. 1981. South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme. South Pacific Commission, Noumea . [Includes 13pp government report on general environment of Tu va lU].

Curry, L. and Armstrong, R.W. 1959. Atmospheric circulation of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Geografiska Annaler, 41, 245-55. [Data

fro m Fun a f uti inc 1 u d e don s 0 me fig u res· e . g. fig. 1 0, p. 2 4 5 . Gilbert and Ellice group ment ioned briefly in discussion p.250].

Dahl, A.L . 1980 . Regional ecosystems survey on the south Pacific. South Pacific Commission Technical Paper, 179, 95pp. [Details environments of Tuvalu p.61. Also available in mimeographed form as paper presented at 2nd Regional Symposium on Conservation of Nature, Apia 14-17 June 1976]. 119.

Dale , W.R. (ed.) 1981a . Pacific Island water resources. Department £i

Scientific and Industrial ~earch, Wellington, New Zealand, South Pacific Technical Inventory, 2, 129pp. [See Dale (1981b), Revell (1981b)].

Dale, W.R . 1981b. Pacific island water resources reviewed. In: W. R. Dale ( e d • ) Pacific island water resources. Department £i ~~~~~iic and Industrial Research, South Pacific Technical Inventory, 2, 7-25. [Tabular summary gives area, population, rainfall, wells and tanks for Tuvalu's nine atolls p.23].

Dana, J. 1935 Gods who die. Macmillan, New York. 320pp. [Romantic bi ogra phy of George Westbrook and his Pacific adventures. Includes eyewitness account of hurricane of ?1883 which devastated Fongafale pp.219-230].

De Lisle, J.F. 1969. Upper wind statistics for New Zealand stations. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 129, 62pp . [Funafuti seasonal mean heights included in tables pp.16-17 with summary of statistics pp .18-22].

Dictionary catalog £i Library, Bernice ~ Bishop Museum, Honolulu,

!!~~~.i.i. 1964. G . K . Hall, Massachusetts. 9 vols. 1st supplement, 1967. 2nd supplement, 1969 . [An author, subject, title, catalogue used in present compilation] .

Don g uy, J . R. 1976. Les contre-courants dans Ie Pacifique tropical sudouest. Cahiers O.R. S.T.O .M. serie Oceanographie, 14(1), 15-26. [Tuvalu lies in area under discussion e.g. figs 1, 3, 9, 10].

Dunn, E.G. 1977. Report ~ ~ visit !£ the islands £i Tuvalu 22nd Se ptember - 7th October 1976 (with special reference !£ problems ~~~££.i~~~£ ~.i~~ £~l~.i~~~.i£~ £i £.i~~~ !~££ l~y£~£~~~£~~ chamissonis . ) South Pacific Commission, Noumea. 39pp; app. of 7 unnumbered pages . [Includes des c riptions of each atoll, its agriculture, rainfall, water supplies, water table etc. pp.8-33. 120.

Appendices include details of annual rainfall for each atoll 1933- 75 with monthly figures for Nanumea 1946-75, Nui 1942-75, Funafuti 1933-75, Niulakita 1942-75j.

Duperry, L.I. 1829. ~ aut our ~ monde . . . sur ~ corvette ~ sa

Majest~, ~ Coquille, pendant les ann~es ~ ~ 1824 et

1825 ... Hydrographie ~ physique. Arthus Bertrand, Paris. 133pp, map. [Includes observations on weather, barometric pressure and temperature readings in and around "lIes Cocal and St Augustin" (=Nanumea and Nanumanga) pp.90-91j.

Environmental issues in the South Pacific: ~ preliminary bibliography. 1983. University of the South Pacific Library, Pacific Information Centre and South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, [Suvaj . [Used in present compilationj.

Festetics de Tolna, R. 1903. Chez les cannibales. Huit ans ~ croisigre dans l'Ocean Pacifique ~ bord ~ ~ ~ Tolna.' Librairie PIon, Paris. iv, 407pp., 2 maps. [Describes visit to Founafouti (sic) including a severe storm c.30 Oct. 1894 p.147j.

Findlay, A.G. 1871. Directory i££ the navigation of the south Pacific Ocean with ~ description £i its coasts, islands, ~ from ~ ~~£~~~ £i ~~R~l~~~~~ ~£ f~~~~ ~~i ~~~~ £i ~~~ Zealand, Australia, ~ its winds, currents , and passages. 3rd ed. Richard Holmes Laurie, London. 966pp. 4th ed., 1877, 1119pp. 5th ed., 1885, 1252pp. [General area and individual islands and shoals described along with their "winds, currents" etc. pp.666-68 3rd ed., 750-56 4th ed., 829-35 5th ed.j.

Finkelstein, J. 1971. Climate and comfort in the tropical south Pacific islands. New Zealand Geographer, 27(1), 56-64. [Data for o mean and highest effective temperatures ( F) for Funafuti included in Tables IV and V, p.62. Data from Funafuti contributes to general discussionj. 121.

Fitchett , F. 1987. Physical effects of Hurricane Bebe upon Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu. Australian Geographer, 18(1): 1-7. [Analysis of before and after aerial photographs confirm hurricane's passage to east of F unafuti] .

Fl y nn , G. and Makin, J. [1976]. ! survey of the prospe c ts for agricultural and industrial development in Tuvalu. [Scientific Units, U.K. Ministry of Overseas Development. London]. 180pp. [Succict review of geograp hical setting pp.12-13 with climate summarised pp.19-27 including mean monthly rainfall of Nanumea, Nui , Funafuti, Nuilakita p.20, monthly rainfall extremes at same atolls p.21, monthly average duration of bright sunshine per day for Funafuti p.22, mean monthly temperatures 1971-75 for Nanumea, Nui , Funafuti, Niulakita p.23, mean relative humidity 1973-75 of Fu na f uti for each month at 0000, 0600,1200, 1800 hrs, wind direction frequency a t Funafuti for each month 1975-76 p.26, mean wi nd speed at Funafuti for each month 1975-76 p.27; some detailed climatic data including rainfall, temperatures etc . pp.160-170].

For s haw , B. 1 9 8 1 . !:!~.!.~!.i~.!. !.~.!.~.!.i.!!..8. t 0 I.!!.y~.!..!!. i.!!. !i~.!.i.2..!!.~l Library/A rchive s July 1981. [ Fu nafuti , Tuvalu.] Mimeographed. l2p p. [Used in present compilation] .

Fouhy, E. and Thompson, R.M . C. 1980. Selected list of bibliographies of south Pacific islands . Miscellaneous .Publication, New Zealand Oceanographi c Institute, 91, 30pp. [U sed in present compilation].

France : Service Hydrographique de la Marine. 1948. I nstructions nauti ques. lIes de l'Oc ean PaCifique . III: Archipels lIes Ellice, Gil bert, Marshall, Phoenix et Tokelau. Archipels des Fidji . lIes Tonga et Samoa. lIes et recifs detaches du Pacifique Su d de l'equateur, lIes de Societe. Archipel des Tuamotou et lIes Marquises. lIes Hawaii. No. 425, ser . K(X), Paris . 595 pp + xxiii, with 8pp . addendum. [French equivalent of Great Britain (1969) . Not seen by present compilers]. 122.

Funafuti - a new N.Z. outpost. 1959. Pacific Islands Monthly, 30(5=December), 37. [Describes new beacon weather station].

Gabites, J.F. 1960. A survey of tropical cyclones in the south Pacific. New Zealand Meteorological Service Technical Information Circular, 107, 6pp. [Tuvalu lies in zone identified as source region of many cyclones but is not specifically referred to].

Geddes, W.H., Chambers, A., Sewell, B., Lawrence, R., and Watters, R. 1982. Islands oil the Line: Team report. Atoll Economy: Social Change in Kiribati and Tuvalu, 1, 221pp. Australian National University, Canberra. [Up to date review of general geography and climate p.1].

Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony: Information Office. 1967.

Gilbert and Ellice Islands: ~ short guide. Mimeographed, Tarawa. 31pp. [General description including climate pp.1-3].

Great Britain: Admiralty. Naval Intelligence Division. 1944. Geographical Handbook Series: Pacific Islands, 3, Western Pacific (Tonga and Solomon Islands). [Geography and climate of Ellice Islands summarised pp.307-13 and cf. 380-83. Bibliography pp. 383-85].

Great Britain: Admiralty. Naval Intelligence Division. 1945. Ibid: Pacific Islands, 1, General Survey. [Numerous references to Ellice Islands in general as well as to specific atolls e.g. climate pp 58, 83. Bibliography at the end of each chapter].

Great Britain: Air Ministry. Meteorological Office. 1940. ~Q~£l~l 121~· ~Q~~~lY ~~£ ~~~~~l ~~~~£1~~ Qi ~ressure, temperature, and precipitation based ~ ~ world-wide network Qi observing stations. His Majesty's Stationery Office, London. [Data for Funafuti (Station 972, Zone 9) from January 1932, first appear in this Reseau and last appear in that for 1934, published 123.

in 1957. Included are periods of normals, hours of observations, etc .].

Great Britain: Air Ministry. Meteorological Office. 1958. Tables Qi. temperature, relative humidity and precipitation for the world. Part IV: Australasia and the South Pacific Ocean including sectors of Antarctica. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 54pp. [Average monthly, ma ximum and minimum temperatures, average monthly humidity at both 0800 and 1400 hrs, average monthly and maximum precipitation for Funafuti p.36].

Great Britain: Colonial Office. 1910-1962/63. Colonial report Q!!. Qil~~£~ ~~£ ~lli£~ I~~~£~ I£Q~~~Qrate/ Colony. Various publishers, London. [Comments on weather are scattered through these reports e.g. 1910 drought in northern Ellice Islands p.5, 1911 breaking of same drought p.7, 1931/32 monthly rainfall figures p.32, 1949 climatic summary pp.38-40].

Great Britain: Colonial Office. 1953. An economic survey Qi. the colonial territories 1951. Vol IV: The Mediterranean and Pacific territories. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 150pp. Colonial no 281 -6. [Chapter on Gilbert and Ellice Islands gives summaiy of geography and climate pp. 133-137].

Great Britain: Commonwealth Office. 1966/67. Report on the years 1966

and ~ Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and the Central and Southern Line Islands. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 108pp. [As for Colonial Office Report 1910-1962/3 above].

Great Britain: Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 1968-73. Report for the year 19xx, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and the Central and Southern Line Islands. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. [A s for Colonial Office Report above]. 124.

Grea t Britain: Foreign Office, Historical Section. 1920. British possessions in Oceania. His Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 126pp. [Highly condensed account of Gilbert and Ellice Islands' geography, climate, agriculture etc. pp.11-13, 75-77].

Great Britain: High Commission Western Pacific. 19xxa. Gilbert and Ellice Island Colony, Medical and Sanitary Report for 19xx . His Britannic Majesty's High Commission for the Western Pacific, Suva. [The successor to "Report on the medical service of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony for the year"19xx-19y y. From c.1946 to c.1959 monthly rainfall figures for various atol l s are included].

Great Britain: High Commission, Western Pacific. 19x x b. Gilbert and

Ellice Islands Colony Blue Book i2..!:. the year from 1st ~ 193x, !..£ 30th June, 193z. High Commission for the Western Pacific, Suva. [Title varies with coverage . 1931-32 edition gives monthly rainfall for all atolls except Nurakita (sic) p.114, ma ximum and minimum temperatures, monthly average wind force, monthly average barometric pressure for Vaitupu for 1931 p.117. 1933-34, 1934-35, and 1936 editions show "no return" for meteorological observations. Edition "for years 1940 and 1941 incorporating figures for years 1939-40 and 1940-41" notes, for whole Gilbert and Ellice colony : "E xc eptionally heavy rainfall, following severe drought of 1938 and 1939 . Trade wind almost absent: frequent squalls during the year No figures of temperature, pressure, wind, cloud, etc. , available"].

Great Britain : Hydrographer to the Navy. 1969. Sailing Directions. Pacific Islands' Pilot Vol. 11.: Central Groups. (2nd ed. 189l. Darling & Son, London. 489pp; 4th ed. 1908. Taylor, Garnett, Evans, London. 472pp; 5th ed. 191 8. Taylor, Garnett, Evans, London. 696pp; 6t h ed. 1932. His Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 562pp; 8th ed. 1956. Tingling & Co, London. 596pp.) 9th ed. Hydrographic Department, Taunton. 605pp. [Summary of meteorology, geography and ocea nog raphy atoll by atoll, shoal by shoal. Ellice Islands pp. 4 64-475, climate table of Funafuti p.35, 125.

cf. 466-472, Niulakita p.465, Nukulaelae p.466, Nukufetau pp.472- 473, Vaitupu p.473, Nui pp.473-474, Niutao p.474, Nanumanga p.474, Nanumea p.475. Earlier editions have different titles such as Pacific Islands Sailing Directions Vol II: Central Islands and are often catalogued under Admiralty: Hydrographic Office or Minister of Defence).

Gre at Britain: Meteorological Office: Marine Division. 1967. Quarterly surface current charts of the south Pacific Ocean. Her Majesty's. Stationery Office, London. 25pp. [Maps, which include the Ellice Islands show surface current predominant directions and average rates, surface current vector means, surface current roses, for each quarter of the year).

Grea t Britain: Meteorological Office. 1975. Tables £i temperature, relative humidity and precipitation for the world. Part IV:

!~~~£~l~~~~ ~~£ the ~£~~~ f~£~i~£ Q£~~~ ~~£~dinR ~~~ corresponding sectors £i Antarctica. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. [Average daily, maximum, minimum and absolute temperatures, average relative humidity at 0800 and 1400 hours and average and maximum precipitation for each month at Funafuti p. 36).

Great Britain: Ministry of Overseas Development. 1975. Living in the Gilbert Islands and Tuvalu. 56pp. [General description pp.2-7, climate summarised p.7).

Hayward, G. (ed.) 1976. The proceedings of H.M.S. Royalist, Captain E.H.M. Davis, R.N., May - August, 1892 in the Gilbert, Ellice and Marshall Islands. Governmen t Printery, Tarawa. Mimeographed. Tungavalu Society. 2 parts, 91pp each [Transcript of original Davis manuscript includes comments by Staff Surgn. Twigg on weather part I, p.60). 126.

Hedley, C. 1896-7. General accoun t of the a toll of Funafu ti. Australian Museum Memoir, 3, 1-72. [Climate of Funafuti described p .19] .

Hessell, J.W.D. 1981. Climatology of the south-west Pacific islands. 2: Climatological statistics. In: W.R. Dale (ed.) Pacific island water resources. De partment £f Scientific and Industrial Research South Pacific Technical Inven tory, 2, 35-46 . [Funafuti rainfall p.36 with data from there included in Table I p.38. Data from Nui, Niutao, Nanumanga, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Niu lakita in Appendix I p.40, and cf. maps pp.41 -42].

Hickman, J.S. 1973. Tropical cyclones. South Pacific Bulletin, 23(4),33-37. [Includes a brief account of Bebe that devastated Funafuti, October 1972].

Hutchings, J.W. 1953. Tropical cyclones in the southwest Pacific. New Zealand Geographer, 9, 33-57. [Ellice Islands noted as occupying part of broad band in which many cyclones have the origin of their disturbance pp.49-501 .

Kerr, I. S. 1976. Tropical storms and hurricanes in the southwest Pacific, November 1939 to April 1969. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 148, 114pp. [Ellice Islands noted as "area affected" for numerous storms e .g. pp.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 28 a nd see maps pp.30-44 for storm tracks, pp .4 5-47 for frequency in Ellice region, pp.48-51 for net directions of movement in Ellice region. Bebe of October 1972 is commented on despite title along with cyclones of 1957 and 2 January 1958 as being only serious storms i n Group during 1940-69 pp.l03-104].

Kiribati National Library accession list 1981. 1981. Kiribati. 37pp . [Contains Ellice/Tuvalu items us e d in present compilation]. 127.

Ko ehler , R. 1910. Der Verteilung der Jahr eszeiten tropischen Australien und Oceanien . (Munchow'sche) Otto Kindt, Giessen . 86pp, coloured map . [Map shows Pacific seasons by coloured areas and includes Ellice Islands].

Kramer , M.P. 1965. Selected annotated bibliography on the climatology and marine meteorology of the Pacific . In: M. Rigby (ed . ; Collected bibliographies .9..!!. physical oceanography 0953-1964), S pecial bibliographies on oceanography contribution no.l, Americar Meteorological Society , Washington. pp.l036-1082. [Two reference, on c limate of Ellice Islands given, one being the Great Britain Colonial Office (1910 - 1062/3) herein, the other an unpublishe, folio r eport on o bservations from Funafuti from 1935 on].

Kr a uss, N. L.H. 1969 . Bibliography .2.i the Ellice Islands, wester Pacific. Privately published, Honolulu. 13pp. [Used in presen compilation, it appears to draw h eavily on Anonymous (1964) Indexed by s ubject].

Lee , G . W. [1980 . ] Report on ~ visit!.Q. Tuvalu!.Q. i nvestigate th ~~~~£ ~~~li~L £i ~~ll~ £~ ~~i~~~~~ l~~~~~~ !~R~~~ 1980 Institute of Natural Re so urces, University of South Pacific

Technical Report 80/2, [8 unpag e d] . [Mean monthly rainfall 194~ 78, mean a nnu al rainfall 1947-74].

Lo pdell , J . H.A. 1963. An analysis of 300 and 200 mb winds over tl tropical Pacific . New Zealand Meteorological Service Technic; Note, 155, 8p p. [Dat a from Funafuti used in analysis e . g . p . 3 a : fig.4].

Luoma la, K. 1953. Ethnobotany of the Gilbert Islands . Bernice Bishop Museum Bulletin, 213, 129pp . [Average rainfall for ea Ellice atoll in period 1924-30 p . 8]. 128.

Maragos, J.E., Baines, G.B.K. and Beveridge, P.J. 1973. Tropical cyclone Bebe creates a new land formation on Funafuti Atoll. Science, 181, 1161-1164.

Matthews, L.S. 1971. Heavy swell observed in the south Pacific in December 1969. New Zealand Meteorological Service Technical Note, 196,10pp. [ Records from Funafuti, Niulakita, and Nanumea included with big swell on Niulakita reef (10-20ft) and Funafuti lagoon no ted pp.S-6).

McLean, R.F. 1974. Morphology of hurricane banks at Funafuti Atoll, EII"ice Islands. Proceedings, International Geographical Union Regional Conference and Eighth New Zealand Geography Conference, Palmers ton North, 269-277.

McLean, R.F. 1980a. The land-sea interface of small tropical islands: morphodynamics and man. In: H.C. Brookfield (ed.) Population-

enviro nm ent relations in tropical islands: the ~ £i eastern Fiji. Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Technical Note, 13, 12S-130. [Fluctuating sea levels and consequentia l shoreline differences at Funafuti discussed p.127).

McLean, R.F. 1980b. Spatial and temporal variability of external physical controls on small island ecosystems. Ibid, 149-17S. [Tuvalu islands included in general discussion of island types and their response to sea-level changes (especially p.lSS), ocean waves, tsunamis, hurricane waves p.160, wind, rainfall, tropical storms p.169, instability of the island ecosystem pp.171-72).

McQuarrie, P. 1981. Solar ~ for Tuvalu. Practical application and system design in Tuvalu. Save the Children Tuvalu Field Office, Tuvalu. Mimeographed. Spp, 2 charts. [Charts show Funafuti monthly averages of global and direct radiation for 1978- 80 and length of day versus time of year for Niu l akita and Nanumea). 129 .

Merg ner, H . 1983 . Initial recolonization of Funafuti atoll coral reefs devastated by hurricane Bebe. Programme Abstracts, 15th Pacific Science Congress, Dunedin, 164. [See below] .

Merg ner, H . 1985. Initial recolonization of Funafuti atoll coral reefs devastated by hurricane " Bebe". Atoll Research Bulletin, 284, 29pp . [Includes brief account of Bebe and of hurricane damage a long with numerous maps, photographs, cross section of reef and lagoon based on observations made during visit in mid 1973] .

~ Mitchell Library, the Public Library £i New South Wales dictionary catalog £i printed books . 1968 . G. K. Hall, Massachusetts. 38 vols. Supplement, 1970 [An author, subject, title catalogu e used in present compilation].

New Zealand: Department of Lands and Survey. 1978. Atlas £i the South Pacific. Government Printer, Wellington. 47pp. [ Along with a map o f each atoll is given a brief description including climate p . 17] .

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1947-71 . Annual meteorological

summary £i stations in ~ Tonga, New Hebrides and Western Pacific High Commission Territories . Government Printer, Suva. [1947 edition includes data from Funafuti for monthly p r essure ranges and means p.3, temperature, humidity, cloud, rainfall, sunshine, wind p . 8, from Nui for temperature p . 15 , for rainfall from Niulakita, Funafuti, Nui, Niutao, Nanumea pp.21-2; from 1949-on data from other atolls increases to cover other facets of meteorology; monthly summaries of major depressions and tropical storms given in last pages of each editio n include storm o riginating in Ellices Jan '58 p.53, Intertropical Convergence Zo ne hig hly active in Ellice region Nov '58 p.53, storm centre in northern Ellices Feb ' 59 p . 55, low pressure trough over Ellice Jan '61 p.58, extensive storm developing from weak depression east of Niulakita De c '67 p . 60, weak storm centre between Ellice and 130.

Tokelau Islands Nov '68 p.59, series of depressions in Ellice area Jan-Feb '69 p.61 and Jan '70 p.61].

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. [1969] .§..!!.!!!.!!!.~.!:..!.~~ .2oi climatological observations (tables .2.i averages): stations in

~ Tonga and Western Pacific High Commission Territories !.2. the end .2.i 1965. Government Printer, Suva. 17pp. [Not seen by present compilers. Referred to in some references given herein].

New Zealand: Meteorological Serivice. [1971] .§..!!.!!!.!!!.ari~~ .2oi climatological observations (tables of averages): stations in Fiji, Tonga and Western Pacific High Commission Territories !.2. the end .2.i 1970. Government Printer, Suva. 20pp. [Gives monthly temperature and humidity data for Nurakita [sic] over 14-22 year period, Funafuti for 38 years, Nui 23 and 36 years, Nanumea 24 and 28 years pp.9-10; rainfall similarly for Nurakita 26 and 29 years, Nukulaelae 16 and 17 years, Funafuti 38 years, Nukufetau 17 years, Vaitupu 22 and 23 years, Nui 27 and 29 years, Nanumanga 17 years, Nuitao 23 and 24 years, Nanumea 24 and 27 years p.19].

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1977-80a. Meteorological observations for 19[xx]: statio ns in New Zealand and outlying islands and stations in Cook Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Western Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Gilbert Islands and Niue Island . New

~~~~.2.£ ~~~~.2o.!:..2.l.2o&l~~l .§.~.!:.~.!.~~ ~.!.~~~11~.2.~.2..!!.~ Publication, 109(19[xx]), 115pp. [ Data included for various Tuvalu atolls from 1977-80 include pressure, bright sunshine, daily tables of incoming radiation, mean daily wind runs, temperature, percentage frequency of surface wind directions, highest wind gust, evaporation, climatological summary of individual stations].

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1977-80b. Rainfall observations for 19[xx]: stations in New Zealand and outlying islands and stations in Cook Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Western Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Gilbert'Islands and Niue Island. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 110(19[xx]), l31.

67pp. [Includes data for all nine atolls for rainfall, no. of days with rain in excess of 1 mm, and maximum rainfall at Funafuti p.65 . Earlier and later editions of same publication do not contain Ellice/Tuvalu data].

New Zealand : Meteorological Service . 1979a. Rainfall parameters for stations in New Zeala nd and Pacific Islands . New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 163, 89pp . [Tables of percentiles, extremes, means, standard deviations and gamma parameters of monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall are given for Niutao, Nui, and Funafuti p.84 with similar data for Vaitupu, Nanumea, Niulakita being advertised as available on application].

New Zealand : Meteorological Service . 1979b . .Maximum recorded rainfalls of given duration in New Zealand and Pacific Islands. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 164, 6pp . [One line of data from Funafuti p.6].

New Zealand: Meteorological Service . 1980. Depth-duration-frequency tables based on daily rainfalls . New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 162, Supplement I, 84pp. [Data from Nanumea, Nui, Niulakita p . 82].

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1981-85. Meteorological observations for 198[x], Pacific Island Stations. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication , 176(198[x]) . [From 1981 on (but not earlier e ditions) data are included from Nanumea, Niutao, Nanumanga, Nui, Vaitupu, Tuamakalili, Nukufetau, Funafuti, Nukulaelae, Niulakita for some of: pressure (monthly mean, high and low), percentage frequency of surface wi nd directions for year, air temperature and humidity (mean daily maximum, minimum, extremes, range), rainfall (monthly, mean, total, days with rain, maximum fall in selected time intervals)]. 132.

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1983a. Summaries of climatological observations to 1980. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 177, 172pp. [Summaries from Nanumea p.159, Nui, Funafuti, Niulakita p.160 include rainfall (mm); highest monthly/annual total, 90 percentile value, mean, 10 percentile value, lowest monthly/annual total (1947-80), max. day rainfall, max. 2 day rainfall; temperature: highest, average monthly/annual maximum, average daily maximum, mean, average daily range, average daily minimum, average monthly/average minimum and range, lowest recorded; average days with thunderj.

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1983b. Rainfall normals in New

Zealand 1951 to 1980. New ~~!!l!!.!!..i Meteorological Service

!ii.§..£~ll!!.!!.~.2.~'§' Publication, 185, 36pp. [Includes data from Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Funafuti p.36j.

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1983c. Percentiles and extremes of atmospheric pressure at sea level: stations in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Antarctica. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 179, 51pp. [Funafuti diurnal and seasonal data summarised p.7. Percentiles and extremes for Nanumea p.40, Funafuti p.41j.

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1983d. Temperature normals 1951

to 1980 . .!:!~~ ~~!!l!!.!!..i Meteorological Service Miscellaneous K~.Q.li.£!!!.i.2..!!.' 183, 25pp. [Includes data from Nanumea, Nui, Funafuti, Niulakita p.24j.

New Zealand: Meteorological Service. 1985. Sunshine normals 1951 to 1980. .!:!~~ ~~!!l!!.!!..i !i~!.~.2.~.2.l.2.Ri.£!!l ~~~~i.£~ !ii.§..£~ll!!.!!.~.2.~'§' Publication, 186, 28pp. [Includes data from Funafuti p.27j.

Overy, R. 1978. Gilbert Islands national collection: !! list .£f publications held in the Special Collection .£f the Gilbert Islands National Library and Archives. Library & Archives Division 133 .

Tarawa. Mimeographed. [Updated and revised in Overy (1981) . Used in present compilation].

Overy , R . 1981. Kiribati National Collection: ~ list Qi holdings. Na tional Li brary and Archives, Kiribati . 205pp ., plus 6pp . of microfilm collection . [Used in present compilation].

Palmer, C . E. 1952 . Tropical meteorology. Quarterly Journal Qi the Royal Meteorological Society, 78, 126-64. [ Initial discussion cen tres on area to north of Ellice Islands but Fig . I , P . 127, shows weather observing stations in central Pacific , including Ellice Group].

Powell, T . 18 7 8 . South Seas - Tokelau, Ellice and Gilbert Groups . Society, 1878, 197-202. [Records visit to Nanumea commenting on "extraordinary supply of rain which has been granted to these s u n stricken islands" p . 202 ].

Radar weather station at Funafuti . 1959. Pacific Islands Monthly, 29(7=February) , 67 .

[Rawlins, S . 1972 . Le cyclone Bebe.] Lettre d'Information ~ les P~ches dans les lIes ~ Pac ifique Sud, So u th Pacific Commission , Noumea, 7(December)1972, 13-14. [Extract from letter of Sam Rawlins giving eye witness account of Bebe including "tra n sformations physiques" and " phenoml!nes biologiques" . In Fren ch].

Reed, W. W. 1927. Climatological data for the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean (Oceania) . Monthly Weather Review , Supplement 28, 1 - 22. [ Mean monthly and ann ual precipitation data for Nanumea, Niutao, Funafuti and Nukulaelae over a four year interval pp . 16- 17, ex U.S . Hydrographic Office records].

135.

Ro oke, E. 1886. Reports £i Commander Eustace Rooke, HMS Miranda, £i proceedings when visiting islands £i the Union Group, the Phoenix Group, Sophia and Rotumah Islands, the Ellice Group and the Gilbert Group, April !..2. July 1886. Government Printer, Sydney. [Includes note on effect of March hurricane of 1886 on Nukulaelae p.10].

Russell, H.C. 1904. Report on meteorological observations made on Funafuti. In: T.G. Bonney (ed.) The atoll £i Funafuti. Borings into.!!. coral reef and the results. Report of the Coral Reef Committee of the Royal Society of London. Harrison & Sons, London. Section II, 29-32. [Daily records for June and July 1896 including wet and dry bulb readings, humidity, maximum and minimum temperatures and cloud observations).

Sache t, M.H. and Fosberg, F.R. 1955. Island bibliographjes. Micronesian botany, land environment and ecology of coral atolls, vegetation of tropical Pacific islands. National Academy of Sciences - Nat io nal Research Council Publication, 335, 577pp. [Includes Ellice group material indexed by atoll; annotated. Used in present compilation].

Sac het, M.H. and Fosberg, F.R. 1971. Island bibliographies supplement. Micronesian botany, land environment and ecology of coral atolls, vegetation of tropical Pacific islands. National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 427pp.

[Samoilenko, V.S.] CaMol'!ne HJ

I. 113,I:\aTeJIbCTBO "HaYJ

Sc h ott, G. 1938. Klimakunde der SUdsee-Inseln. In: W. Kllppen & R. Geiger Handbuch der Klimatologie Band IV, Teil T, 114pp. [Climate of group summarised p.T55 with data from Reed (1927) for Nanumea, Ni utao, Funafuti and Nukulaelae which stations are also included 136.

in summary table 11 pp.Tl12-3. Brief reference to hurricane of 1891].

Seeyle, C.J. (ed.) 1943. Climatological notes, south Pacific region. The climate of the Ellice Islands. New Zealand Meteorological Office, series £, no.14, 12pp. [Data and descriptions include surface wind, visibility, cloud, rainfall, temperatures, humidity, and thunder with data for all categories from Funafuti and for some from other atolls].

Seey Ie, C. J. 1944. Notes on rainfall in the Pacific. New Zea land Meteorological Office, series !, no.5. [Includes report of rapidity of change from wet-dry-wet in Gilbert and Ellice Islands].

Seeyle, C.J. 1950. Rainfall and its variability over the central and

southwestern Pacific. ~~~ ~~l~~ Journal £f Science and Technology, 32B, 11-24. [Ellice Islands at centre of discussion].

Shaw, D.B. (ed.) tl~!.~"!:"Q.l.£.s..Y. .£~~ !..!:!.~ tropical oceans. Royal Meteorological Society, Bracknell, Berkshire. [Being the main papers presented at a jOint conference of four major national meteorological organisations August 1978 related to GATE (=GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment). The Tuvalu region occurs in a number of diagrams under discussion: horizontal mean motion field p.33, 100 day mean vertical velocity and 100 day mean temperatur e distribution p.34, selected time average fields and east-west circulations p .36 , energy changes in the troposphere p.43, geometry of waves and zonal flo ws p.49, hurricanes although no reference to specific storms pp.160, 163, 173-180, 182, streamlines p.228, precipitation p.229, annual rainfall as percentage of normal for five years p.235, rainfall forecasts p.244, predicted winds and " streamlines p .24 5, cover by geostationary satellites with particular reference to regions over which good wind determinations can be made p.262]. 137.

Small, C.A. 1972. Atoll agriculture in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Department of Agriculture, Tarawa. 154pp. [A textbook for agricultural assistants, it includes an excellent summary of the environment and climate pp.5-6 with a diagrammatic comparison of rainfall on various islands vs. longitude pp.9-11].

So uth Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation [and five other cooperating organisations.] 1982. Pacific energy programme !!!'.!.~~.!..9.!!' !:.~.E..9.!:'!.: I.!!.1.!!..!..!!. • [ S u va. ] vii i, 6 3 P P ., map. [Geographical and climatic summary p.3; wind energy discussion gives diagrammatic representation of wind distribution for Funafuti, 1981 p.19, table of old wind records 1922-43 for that atoll p.20, daily sunshine records for Funafuti 1981 p.21, frequency of sunny periods p.22].

Steiner, J. T. (compiler) 1980. The climate of the south-west Pacific region. A review for pilots. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication, 166, 35pp. [Data from Tuvalu used in numerous map analyses of weather patterns in area covered although no specific text references to group].

Stewart, J.Q. 1945. Coasts, ~ and weather. Ginn & Co., Boston. 348pp. [A book for navigators indexed by Sachet and Fosberg (1955) as containing Ellice matelial and noted as having most of its Pacific content extracted from Pacific Islands Pilot. However, it contains no Ellice content].

Storm damage at Funafuti. 1965. Pacific Islands Monthly, 36(2), 103.

Tadulala, M. 1985. Preliminary report £i unnamed depression ~ Funafuti (26th-28th December 1984). Fiji Meteorological Service, ref. 41/2/1. 3pp, map. [One of the most damaging weather systems to affect Tuvalu since hurricane Bebe, October 1972].

Taylor, R.C. 1973. An atlas of Pacific islands' rainfall. Hawaii l!!.~!..!.!..!!.!.~ .9.£ ~~.9..E.~y~.!.£~ Q!!.!.!!. !~.E..9.!:'!., 25, HIG-73-9, 1-196. (Gilbert and Ellice rainfall station density p.l, rainfall 138.

stations pp.D-2, E-1, A-I to A-II, individual station records appendix C).

Thompson, C.S. 1987. The climate and weather o f Tuvalu. New Zealand Meteorological Service Miscellaneous Publication 188. [Not seen by compilers].

United States: Defence Mapping Agenc y . 1982. Sailing directions ~ route) for the Pacific Islands. DMA Publication 126, United States Government Printing Office. 396pp. [Weather information is confined to a summary under Funafuti pp.109-110. Currents and tidal streams given for other atolls and shoals pp.109-11 3 ].

United States: Weather Bureau, Department of Commerce. 1938. Atlas.2i climatic charts Qi the oceans, Pacific Ocean. United States Government Printing Office. 6pp, 129 c harts. [Ver y ge neralised but includes data from Ellice Islands area as part of wor ld charts].

Visher, S.S. 1922a. Notes on typhoons, wi th charts of normal and abnormal tracks. Monthly Weather Review, 50, 583-589. [Includes brief reference to storms that have affected Gilbert and Ellice Islands].

Visher, S.S. 1922b. Tropical cyclones in Australia and the south Pacific and Indian Oceans. Monthly Weather Review, 50, 288-295. [As above although tabular data is more relevant].

Visher, S.S. 1925. Tropical cyclones of the Pacific. Bernice E..:. Bishop Museum Bulletin, 20, 163pp. [Ellice Islands to 1914 p.41].

Vitale, C.S. and Bender, T.A. 1958a. Selected bibliog raphy Qi climatic maps .2i the southwest Pacific Ocean. U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau, Washington. 28pp. [Sole entry for Ellice Islands is Koehler (1910)]. 139.

Vitale, C.S. and Bender, T.A. 1958b. Selected bibliography Qf climatic maps for the western Pacific Ocean. U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau, Washington. 23pp. [Overlaps with the above and has no specific Ellice Islands entry although the group is included generally in "Central Pacific"].

Ward, E.V. 1967. Sailing directions: navigation in and between the atolls £i the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Tarawa. [Along with a general description of geography and e n vironment of Ellice Islands are included account of waterspouts in waters of the Group, the hurricane of 1957, summary of climate, currents and tides pp.40-41. Each atoll and shoal is detailed over succeeding 1 3pp. Climate summary of Funafuti for ten year period 1951-61 gi ves wind, rainfall and temperature (for annual quarters) and pressure (average annual) with diurnal range p.70].

White , W.C. and Warin, O.N. 1964. A survey of phosphate deposits in the south-west Pacific and Australian waters. Commonweal th of Australia, Bureau Qf Mineral Resources, Bulletin, 69, 175pp. [Climat e of Gilbert and Ellice Islands summarised pp.64-65 with annual rainfall of each atoll given for 1950-58 in table 4 p.64 and plotted comparatively in figure p.67].

Wiens, H.J. 1962. Atoll environment and ecology. Yale University, New Haven. 532pp. [Excellent monographic review. Information on Ellice Islands from numerous sources and is mainly discussed in context of total Pacific. Includes wind patterns pp.143-144, rainfall, pp.153-154, 472, droughts p.158, surface water temperatures p.197, typhoons p.474, Funafuti rainfall p.472, Nanumea rainfall p.472, Nui rainfall p.472].

World weather records,1941-1950. 1959. United States of America Department of Commerce, Washington. 1361pp [Data from Funafuti from July 1932 to December 1950 includes monthly means of pressure at station level, pressure at sea level, temperature, total precipitation pp.1298-99 with brief description of station p.82. 140.

Earlier volumes in this series by Clayton and Clayton, and included in Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, contain no Ellice data. 1968 edition contains Funafuti records for 1951-60 and for Nurakita (sic): sea level pressure (1959,60), temperature (1957-60), precipitation (1951-60)].

Wyrtki, K. and Nakahara, S. 1984. Monthly maps of sea level anomalies in the Pacific. Hawaii Institute .2.i Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Report, HIG-84 - 3, 8pp. [Funafuti listed as sea level station pp. 3-4 for which data can be abstracted from figures given on accompanying maps].

SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCE

Al<.ceHOB, AA, 1975. nocneACTBH5I Ta:t)'HaljlyrH. [Consequences of a hurricane on

the atoll of Funafuti.) OcrpoBHl>le menI>ljlLl TPOllll4ecKOH 3OHI>I OKeaHa. lbBLle :nccneAHUHOH.

(I[ccneA, coo6m, Marep(I[anLJ. ~-T OKeaHOnOr(l[(l[ HM. nn. lli(l[pmoBa AH cxx:P. [In 'Island

platforms in the oceanic tropic isles.' Expedition research reports, Akademia Nauk S.S.S.R., lnstitut

Okeanologii imeni P.P. Shirshov)1: 166-186, bibl: 3 refs. [Includes observations on the structure

of the atoll and a study of reef biocenoses.)

Accepted 8 No vember, 1986 141.

n and Clayton, and APPENDIX ec tions, contain no records for 1951-60 HURRICANE BEBE 9 59,60), temperature Translated by Professor A. Butler University of Auckland s ea level anomalies from ~, University of l i sted as sea level "Le Cyclone Bebe" Lettre d'Information ~ les P~ches dans les lIes .!!.!:!. ,rac ted from figures Pacifique Sud, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, 7(December) 1972, 13- 14.

The island groups most affected by Hurricane Bebe which crossed the west Pacific in October [1972] are the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, particularly Funafuti atoll, and Fiji where the town of Lautoka _

gillert and Ellice Islands - At Funafuti, boats and other craft ~:':ax:P, [In 'Island suffered badly; the Van Camp Company's fishing fleet was completely S.s.S,R" Inslitul destroyed. Only two houses remain standing and six deaths were the structure recorded. The following extract from Mr Sam Rawlins' letter is most interesting for its description of the physical changes wrought by the hurricane and of the biological phenomena which they involved.

"The wind was extremely violent, but the most interesting thing is that it was very cold, because the wind was blowing at more than 130 knots, driving a mixture of rain and spray horizontally at you! I have never been so cold, even in the ice-strewn North Atlantic.

The island was battered by the waves, ravaged by the wind and you could feel it sundering in places. The southern tip [of Fongalfale] was completely flooded, first by several tidal waves, but then by raging seas. 142.

Rocks were torn away and hurled into the ocean. These ranged from pebbles the size of hens' eggs to huge blocks weighing more than two tonnes. These now form a new bank running northwards from the southeast shoals to a point beyond the northern end of the runway. This new strip of emergent land, varying in width from 22 to more than 90 metres and about 4.5 metres high, is cut off at high tide from the eastern part of Funafuti atoll by a "new" lagoon, 20 to 135 metres wide and at least 2 metres deep! At low tide, the bank links three motu to Funafuti, along a length of roughly 11 kilometres, all the way from the shoals. To the south of the shoals the bank thrown up by the storm can be seen here and there, but along the southern extremity of the atoll it once more forms an unbroken ridge for several kilometres. The weight of materials of which it is built is calculated at roughly 3-4 million tonnes.

The day after the cyclone, I found crayfish, moray eels and various types of reef fish on the landing strip and around my house; but, on the other hand, I saw tilapia swimming crazily along the fringe of the reef. The big horse mackerel which is usually rare in our waters, was present in large numbers after the hurricane; it was the same with tuna and other pelagic fish, judging by my short trips out to sea (incidentally my boat was sunk.)

There are also a great many Siganidae and in one morning we were able to catch nearly 450 kg of these in Japanese, monofilament surface nets with three of Van Camp's fishing skiffs which had weathered the storm.

I shall try to collect, for ADPIPS, the maximum amount of ecological data on the hurricane and its effects."

Translation edited by K.A. Rodgers

8th November 1986