2021–22 South Pacific cyclone season

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2021–22 South Pacific cyclone season
2021-2022 South Pacific cyclone season summary.png
Season summary map
Seasonal boundaries
First system formedDecember 13, 2021
Last system dissipatedSeason ongoing
Strongest storm
NameRuby
 • Maximum winds110 km/h (70 mph)
(10-minute sustained)
 • Lowest pressure975 hPa (mbar)
Seasonal statistics
Total disturbances2
Total depressions1
Tropical cyclones1
Total fatalitiesNone
Total damageNone
Related articles
South Pacific tropical cyclone seasons
2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24

The 2021–22 South Pacific cyclone season is the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form within the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially started from November 1, 2021, and will end on April 30, 2022, however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service, Australian Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Armed Forces through the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) will also monitor the basin and issue unofficial warnings for American interests. The FMS attaches a number and an F suffix to tropical disturbances that form in or move into the basin while the JTWC designates significant tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix. The BoM, FMS and MetService all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate windspeeds over a period of ten minutes, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).

Seasonal forecasts[]

Source/Record Tropical
Cyclone 		Severe
Tropical Cyclone 		Ref
Record high: 1997–98: 16 1982–83: 10 [1]
Record low: 1990–91:  2 2008–09:  0 [1]
Average (1969-70 - 2019-20): 7 3 [2]
NIWA October 9–12 3–4 [3]
Fiji Meteorological Service 4–6 1–3 [2]
Region Chance of
above average 		Average
number 		Actual
activity
Western South Pacific
(142.5°E—165°E; includes Australian basin) 		59% 4
Eastern South Pacific
(165°E—120°W) 		46% 6
Source:BOM's South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season Outlook[4]

Ahead of the cyclone season formally starting, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), New Zealand's MetService and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and various other Pacific Meteorological services, all contributed towards the Island Climate Update tropical cyclone outlook that was released during October 2021.[3] The outlook took into account the ENSO neutral conditions that had been observed across the Pacific and analog seasons, that had ENSO neutral and El Nino conditions occurring during the season.[3] The outlook called for a near-average number of tropical cyclones for the 2021–22 season, with nine to twelve named tropical cyclones, predicted to occur between 135°E and 120°W, compared to an average of just over 10.[3] At least four of the tropical cyclones were expected to intensify further and become severe tropical cyclones, while it was noted that a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone could occur during the season.[3]

In addition to contributing towards the Island Climate Update outlook, the FMS and the BoM issued their own seasonal forecasts for the South Pacific region.[2][4] The BoM issued two seasonal forecasts for the Southern Pacific Ocean, for their self-defined eastern and western regions of the South Pacific Ocean.[4] They predicted that the Western region between 142.5°E and 165°E, had a 59% chance of seeing activity above its average of 4 tropical cyclones. The BoM also predicted that the Eastern Region between 165°E and 120°W, had a 46% chance of seeing activity above its average of 6 tropical cyclones.[4] Within their outlook the FMS predicted that between four and six tropical cyclones would occur within the basin compared to an average of around 7.[2] At least one of these tropical cyclones was expected to intensify further and become a Category 3 or higher severe tropical cyclone.[2]

Seasonal summary[]

Cyclone RubyTropical cyclone scales#Comparisons across basins

Systems[]

Tropical Cyclone Ruby[]

Category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Ruby 2021-12-13 0250Z.jpg Ruby 2021 track.png
DurationDecember 13 (Entered basin) – December 14
Peak intensity110 km/h (70 mph) (10-min)  975 hPa (mbar)
Main article: Cyclone Ruby

On December 13, Tropical Cyclone Ruby moved into the basin from the Australian region, as a Category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.[5][6]

Tropical Disturbance 02F[]

Tropical disturbance (Australian scale)
Temporary cyclone south.svg 
DurationDecember 17 – December 20
Peak intensityWinds not specified  1004 hPa (mbar)

During December 17, the FMS reported that Tropical Disturbance 02F had developed in an area of low vertical windshear, about 625 km (390 mi) to the northeast of Port Vila in Vanuatu.[7] Deep convection associated with the system persisted on a convergence line, away from the systems low-level circulation center.[7]

Storm names[]

See also: Lists of tropical cyclone names

Within the Southern Pacific a tropical depression is judged to have reached tropical cyclone intensity should it reach winds of 65 km/h, (40 mph) and it is evident that gales are occurring at least halfway around the center. With tropical depressions intensifying into a tropical cyclone between the Equator and 25°S and between 160°E - 120°W named by the RSMC Nadi. However should a tropical depression intensify to the south of 25°S between 160°E and 120°W it will be named in conjunction with RSMC Nadi by TCWC Wellington. Should a tropical cyclone move out of the basin and into the Australian region it will retain its original name. The next 10 names on the naming list are listed here below.[8]

  • Cody (unused)
  • Dovi (unused)
  • Eva (unused)
  • Fili (unused)
  • Gina (unused)
  • Hale (unused)
  • Irene (unused)
  • Judy (unused)
  • Kevin (unused)
  • Lola (unused)

If a tropical cyclone enters the South Pacific basin from the Australian region basin (west of 160°E), it will retain the name assigned to it by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The following storms were named in this manner:

Season effects[]

This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E during the 2021–22 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and/or TCWC Wellington, and all of the damage figures are in 2021 or 2022 USD.

Name Dates active Peak classification Sustained
wind speeds 		Pressure Areas affected Damage
(USD) 		Deaths Refs
Ruby December 13 – 14 Category 2 tropical cyclone 110 km/h (70 mph) 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) New Caledonia None None
02F December 17 – 20 Tropical disturbance Not specified 1004 hPa (29.65 inHg) None None None
Season aggregates
2 systems December 13 – Season ongoing 110 km/h (70 mph) 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) None None

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Climate Services Division (October 26, 2010). Tropical Cyclone Guidance for Season 2010/11 for the Fiji and the Southwest Pacific (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e 2021/22 RSMC Nadi Tropical Cyclone Outlook (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. October 15, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Outlook - October 2020 (Report). National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. October 20, 2020. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cyclones/south-pacific/archive/20211012.archive.shtml". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. December 14, 2021. External link in |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Forecast Map Number 1 for Tropical Cyclone Ruby". met.gov.fj. Fiji Meteorological Service. 13 December 2021. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Hurricane Warning 009 for Tropical Cyclone Ruby". met.gov.fj. Fiji Meteorological Service. 12 December 2021. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b Tropical Disturbance Summary December 17, 2021 00z (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. December 17, 2021.
  8. ^ RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (November 18, 2016). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2016 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. pp. I–4 – II–9 (9–21). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.

External links[]

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