1997-98 South Pacific cyclone season
Encyclopedia
The 1997–98 South Pacific cyclone season was one of the most active and the longest tropical cyclone seasons on record, with 16 tropical cyclones occurring within the South Pacific Ocean basin between 160°E
and 120°W
. The season started earlier than normal with 3 tropical depressions recorded before the official start of the season on November 1, 1997 while the final depression of the season dissipated on May 3, 1998. There was a tie for the strongest tropical cyclone of the season as both Cyclones Ron and Susan had a minimum pressure of 900 hPa (26.58 inHg), and were the most intense tropical cyclones on record in the South Pacific Ocean until Cyclone Zoe
in 2002–03
. After the season ended, 10 names had their names either removed or retired from the lists of names, after they caused significant impacts to South Pacific islands.
During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
(RSMC) in Nadi, Fiji
and the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers in Brisbane, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand
. The United States Navy
through its Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) and Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC), also monitored the basin and issued unofficial warnings for American interests. During the season RSMC Nadi issued warnings and assigned names to any
tropical cyclones that developed between the Equator and 25°S while TCWC Wellington issued warnings for any that were located to the south of 25°S. The JTWC issued warnings for American interests on any significant tropical cyclone that was located between 160°E and the 180°
while the NPMOC issued warnings for tropical cyclones forming between 180° and the American coast. RSMC Nadi and TCWC Wellington measure sustained windspeeds over a 10-minute and used the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, while the JTWC and the NPMOC measured sustained windspeeds over a 1-minute period and are compared to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
(SSHS).
In October 1997, ahead of the season starting on November 1, the Cook Islands Meteorological Office and the National Disasters Committee, warned that the Cook Islands should expect its worst cyclone season in years. On November 27, New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
, issued a press release, which predicted that because of the strong El Niño phenomenon, there would be more tropical cyclones than average. In particular they predicted that due to the strong El Niño, countries within the western part of the basin were likely to see fewer tropical cyclones during the season than countries within the eastern part of the basin. The Southern Cook islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and French Polynesia, were predicted to have an increased risk, while Fiji was forecast to have an average risk of being affected by a tropical cyclone. NIWA also reported that Cyclone Martin's impact on the Northern Cook Islands was an early sign of what could be expected during the season, because the system had occurred further east than normal.
After one of the latest ends to a season on record during 1996–97, the 1997–98 season started early with the formation of Tropical Cyclone Lusi on October 8, about 3 weeks before the season officially started on November 1. Lusi took a so called gentleman's track between Fiji and Vanuatu and had no impact on either country, before dissipating on October 13. Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin then developed
five hours later. During that day the developing depression consolidated further before at 2100 UTC, the JTWC initiated advisories on the depression and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 02P. At 1200 UTC on October 9, RSMC Nadi named the depression, Lusi as the system had intensified into the earliest tropical cyclone since 1970 while located about 1020 km (635 mi) to the northwest of Port Villa, Vanuatu. Over the next few days, Lusi moved towards the south-southeast taking a so-called "gentleman's track" between Vanuatu and Fiji. On October 11 RSMC Nadi reported that Lusi had reached its peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 100 km/h (65 mph), while the JTWC also reported that Lusi had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). After it had peaked in intensity, Lusi started to weaken in an area of cooler sea surface temperatures and increasing vertical wind shear, before both RSMC Nadi and the JTWC reported early on October 12 that Lusi had weakened into an extratropical cyclone. The extratropical remnants of Lusi were tracked for another day by RSMC Nadi and the JTWC before they dissipated to the northeast of New Zealand. There was no impact caused by Lusi on any island, though heavy rainfall and gale force windspeeds were reported on several Fijian Islands including Rotuma
.
. The JTWC initiated advisories on the depression at 0600 UTC and designated it as 05P, before six hours later, RSMC Nadi named the depression Nute, as it had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone. Over the next day, Nute continued to intensify and developed an eye feature before at 0600UTC on November 19, as the system approached 160°E, RSMC Nadi reported that Nute, had peaked as a category two tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). Later that day, the JTWC reported that Nute had reached a 1-minute peak intensity of 140 km/h (85 mph), before RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility to TCWC Brisbane, as Nute had moved into the Australian region
. As Nute did not affect any islands while it was in the South Pacific there was no impact reported.
. Tropical Depression 06P stayed weak for the next few days as the NPMOC did not start issuing warnings on this depression until the afternoon of November 23. TD-06P moved on a southeasterly course and was christened the name Osea by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Fiji
on November 24. Osea began to intensify and reached hurricane intensity the next day. Osea’s winds peaked at 80 mph (135 km/h) in 10-min winds (105 mph in 1-min winds). Afterwards, Osea began to weaken and passed close Tahiti
on November 28 with winds of only 40 mph (60 km/h). The last advisory was released on November 28 at 600 UTC. Peak intensity was 950 millibars.
The damage in French Polynesia
was catastrophic. Over 700 buildings were destroyed in Bora-Bora, Raiatea
and Maupiti
. On Manupiti, about 95 percent of the island was destroyed, including the town hall, two schools, and an airfield. On Bora-Bora, only about 30 percent of the infrastructure was destroyed. No fatalities were reported however.
and southeast of the newly formed Tropical Storm Paka
in the Central North Pacific. Paka and TD-07P were cyclonic twins, forming from the same equatorial wind burst. The system developed slowly while it drifted to the south-southeast. By 1800 UTC, TD-07P was west of Manihiki Atoll
with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). Maximum sustained winds reached gale-force on December 6, as Paka and TD-07P were splitting farther and farther apart (Paka, which was reaching the International Date Line
). The storm was named Pam and moved close to Suwarrow Atoll
on December 6. On December 8, Pam passed due east of Palmerston Island
, sustaining winds of 65 mi/h.
Pam passed by Rarotonga
early on December 9 as a weakening cyclone. Rarotonga recorded winds of 44 mi/h and gusts of 74 mi/h. Coincidentally, the low pressure of 986 millibars was not recorded until the next day. Instead of dropping in pressure, Pam decreased gradually and then a gradual increase in the next 12 hours. This occurrence may have shown that Pam was becoming extratropical. The weakening cyclone passed southeast of Mangaia
around 1200 UTC December 9. The island recorded winds of 30 mi/h and a minimal pressure of 996 millibars. Pam weakened gradually, losing tropical characteristics. The RSMC in Nadi downgraded Pam into a tropical storm on December 10.
Damage on Rarotonga
was light, being limited from down power lines to fallen trees. A few houses lost their roofs and low-lying roads sustained flooding. 149 millimeters of rain fell on Rarotonga
during a six-hour period. No fatalities were reported in accordance with Tropical Cyclone Pam.
. Over the next 12 days the system remained weak while gradually moving towards the southwest, before on January 2 the disturbance started to develop further. At 0000 UTC on January 3, the USN's JTWC designated the disturbance 11P and initiated advisories on the system while it had 1-minute wind speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph), which are equivalent to a tropical storm. Six hours later at 0600 UTC, RSMC Nadi reported that the disturbance had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Susan. However in its post storm analysis RSMC Nadi reported that they should off named it, 18 hours earlier at 1200 UTC, January 2. By 0600 UTC on January 3, the cyclone was located about 765 km (475 mi) to the northeast of Port Villa on the Vanuatu
an island of Efate
. During that day Susan rapidly intensified further in an area of low vertical wind shear, while moving towards the west. As a result of the intensification RSMC Nadi reported at 0000 UTC the next day, that Susan had become a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, while the JTWC reported that the cyclone had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
. Throughout January 4, Susan continued to rapidly intensify while moving towards the west-southwest towards Vanuatu, before at 0000 UTC on January 5, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had become a category 5 severe tropical cyclone, with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 120 knots. The JTWC also reported at this time that Susan had become equivalent to a Super Typhoon with 1-minute wind speeds of 130 knots. Six hours later RSMC Nadi reported that Susan had reached its peak 10-minute peak sustained wind speeds of 145 mph (225 km/h). The JTWC also reported at this time that the system had peaked but with 1-minute wind speeds of 260 km/h (160 mph) which is equivalent to a weak category 5 hurricane on the SSHS. As it reached its peak intensity, Susan was still moving towards the southwest and as a result, it "posed a severe threat to Vanuatu," however during that afternoon, Susan recurved towards the southeast "just in time to spare Vanuatu, a direct hit.” After turning away from Vanuatu, Susan accelerated towards the southeast while remaining near or at its peak intensities, before starting to weaken significantly during January 7. RSMC Nadi then reported early the nest day, that Susan had weakened into a category 4 severe tropical cyclone while it was located about 435 km (270.3 mi), to the southeast of Nadi, Fiji. Later that day, as Susan interacted with Ron RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility for Susan to TCWC Wellington, while the NPMOC took over the responsibility for issuing warnings for American interests from the JTWC. By 0000 UTC on January 9, Susan had completely absorbed Ron, before at 0600 UTC TCWC Wellington and the NPMOC reported that the Susan had become extratropical. Susans remnants were monitored by TCWC Wellington for another day until they were last noted at 1200 UTC about 2500 km to the southeast of Wellington, New Zealand.
Total damage from Susan was minor. High seas in accordance with Susan inundated the village of Talaulia on Kadavu, Fiji. There was also some destroyed waterfront buildings, roads, jetties and bridges on Kadavu. In Beqa Island, only high seas and swells were experienced. In the town of Lautoka, on Viti Levu, roofs were blown off shops. This damage was possibly caused by a tornado that formed from one of the outer rain bands. One death was reported in accordance with Susan. This death was on Ambrym Island in Vanuatu
, where a woman was killed by a falling coconut palm tree.
. As a cyclone, Ron passed close to Swains Island
on January 3 and intensified gradually after that. Peak 10-minute winds of 145 mph (225 km/h) were reached on January 5 north of Apia, American Samoa. Ron maintained that intensity for about 36 hours and began to move in a south-southeasterly course on January 6. Around 1800 UTC that day, Ron passed near Niuafo'ou, which reported sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). The RSMC Nadi discussion at 1800 UTC noted that Ron may have had a smaller gale radius than had been thought. After passing Niuafo'ou, Ron passed to the south of Samoa and weakened. Ron started to move faster and weakened rapidly, merging with Tropical Cyclone Susan on January 9. Ron's lowest pressure was 900 millibars and 1-minute winds of 165 mph (265 km/h).
Damage on Niuafo'ou was catastrophic. About 67 percent of the buildings on were either damaged or destroyed completely. Agricultural losses included 80–90 percent of the coconut
and breadfruit
trees were damaged. Crops such as taro
, kape
, manioc, and banana
s were lost. The Tonga Chronicle reported that it would take at least five years to return crops to pre-cyclone stages. Damages and rehabilitation totaled out 1.1 million in Tongan dollars. However, no fatalities were reported on the island. Neighboring islands Niuatoputapu
, Tafahi
, and Vava'u
sustained damage as well, but not as severe as Niuafo'ou. No reports of damage came from Swain's Island and Wallis Island
. Ron's peak intensity of 900 millibars was the strongest of the season in the Southern Pacific and the strongest since Tropical Cyclone Hina in March 1985.
, this proved to be the northernmost point of Katrina's track as the storm turned east-southeast and then southeast, fluctuating in hurricane strength. On January 9, Cyclone Katrina threatened Vanuatu
when it stalled about 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) west-northwest of Port Vila
and reversed direction and moved west due a high pressure system. On January 11, Katrina moved south of Rennell Island
and then crossed back into the Brisbane
area six hours later where it crossed the 160E on its eastward journey, then the storm turned west where it maintained that course until January 15. On the 15th, the storm moved south-southwest where it reached Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale Category 2 strength with a barometric pressure of 940 mbar. Katrina weakened rapidly and slowed before making a tight loop on January 17 and January 18. After completing the loop, Cyclone Katrina moved east for 12 hours before moving east-southeast for three days. During that time, Katrina briefly reached Category 1 strength once more before slowing down and being affected by wind shear
. By January 24, Katrina had weakened to a tropical depression and on January 25, Katrina dissipated 250 nautical miles (463 km) east of Townsville.
One person drowned off the coast of Vanuatu in rough seas produced by the storm. Throughout the Solomon Islands, 650 homes were destroyed by Katrina, most of which were on the islands of Rennel and Bellona.
. During that day, as the depression moved towards the southeast it gradually intensified further before at 2100 UTC, RSMC Nadi reported that the depression had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone, and named it as Tui, while it was located about 80 km (50 mi) to the northwest of Apia. After it was named, Tui passed over the Samoan Islands of Upolu
and Savai'i
, before at 0600 UTC, both RSMC Nadi and the NPMOC reported that Tui had peaked with 10 and 1 minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph). After it had crossed Samoa, the system remained near stationary, just to the south of Samoa, before early on January 27 both the NPMOC and RSMC Nadi, reported that Tui had weakened into a depression and issued their final advisories. After being downgraded to a depression, the system remained in the vicinity of the Samoan islands, before it possibly redeveloped into Tropical Cyclone Wes. Large crop losses and some infrastructure damage was reported in American Samoa and Western Samoa after gale force windspeeds, heavy rain and rough seas brought down, power lines, trees and other debris. On the Western Samoan island of Savai'i, a young boy was killed when he stepped into an electrified puddle of water.
on the French Polynesia
n island of Tahiti
. During the next day, the depression gradually developed further as it moved towards the southeast before at 1800 UTC RSMC Nadi named the depression Ursula as it had developed into a category one tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Over the next few days, Ursula gradually intensified and got caught up in the westerly flow
, before accelerating towards the southeast and passing through the Tuamotu archipelago. Early on February 1, RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility for Ursula to TCWC Wellington, as the system reached its peak 10-minute windspeeds of 110 km/h (65 mph), equivalent to a category two tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Around the same time, the NPMOC designated Ursula as Tropical Cyclone 17P and started to issue warnings, while it was at its peak 1-minute windspeeds of 120 km/h (75 mph). During that day, the system went through an extratropical transition with the NPMOC issuing their final warning at 1800 UTC, before TCWC Wellington declared Ursula extratropical at 0600 UTC on February 2. The extratropical remnants of Ursula, were then tracked by TCWC Wellington until they dissipated on February 5 over the southeastern Pacific Ocean, about 4350 km (2700 mi) to the south of Lima, Peru. In association with Tropical Cyclone Veli, Ursula brought significant waves which caused minor damages to three Tuamotuan islands of Mataiva, Rangiroa, Makatea. Mataiva was the worst hit island with roads and bridges washed away, and 39 homes damaged. On Makatea island five houses were damaged while operations at Rangiroa's airstrip were disrupted after coral and sand washed up onshore.
named the second and more eastern depression Veli the next day in Nadi with winds of 40 mph (60 km/h). Veli continued in a more southeasterly direction and reached a peak intensity of 65 mph (105 km/h) on February 2. At 2100 UTC that day, an NPMOC warning stated that a scatterometer reading found winds of 55 mi/h. Like the storm before this, Ursula, Veli crossed the Tuamotus Islands. However, unlike Ursula, Veli was not caught in the westerlies and shoot off to the southeast. The last warning was released on February 3, when Veli 500 nautical miles (926 km) southeast of Tahiti
.
drifted west between Vanatu and the Solomon Islands
, while strengthening slowly. The RSMC in Nadi
named the system Yali on March 19 at 1800 UTC. The first Joint Typhoon Warning Center
warning was issued on March 18, placing the low 350 nautical miles (648.2 km) north-northwest of Port Vila. Until this point, Yali had been moving to the southwest, but by March 20, the cyclone began moving on a southeasterly course, due to a strengthening monsoon flow. For the next 2½ days, Yali moved to the southeast, passing west of the Vanatu Islands. Yali came close enough to affect the isles of Tanna and Aneityum. Yali reached hurricane-force on the afternoon of March 21 and passed 60 nautical miles (111.1 km) west of Port Vila the next day. Yali's peak intensity of 80 mi/h and 965 millibars was reached on March 22 at 600 UTC. At this time, Yali was just south of Port Vila
, brushing it with 15 mi/h winds and a minimal pressure of 992 millibars. There was a possibility that the low wind reading based on poor exposure of the instrument. By 1800 UTC March 22, Yali reached its most easternmost position at 220 nautical miles (407.4 km) southeast of Port Vila
. The upper ridge to its north intensified, increasing wind shear and limiting convection. Due to this, Yali began to weaken and dropped below hurricane force. At around the same time, a mid-level subtropical ridge began to influence its motion, sending it to the west. As Yali moved to the southwest, the wind field became asymmetric. At 1200 UTC March 23, Yali was just east of Noumea, New Caledonia with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). The weakening Yali passed just south of New Caledonia
on the night of March 23. By March 25, an upper-level low had caught the cyclone and influenced the circulation with cold air.
The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Fiji
downgraded Yali into an extratropical system and stopped issuing advisories. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center continued to track Yali in the general direction of Australia
. The now semi-tropical Yali moved to the west and crossed 160°E
on March 25. By the next day, Yali's center was 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) east-northeast of Brisbane, Australia. Some convection was re-developing just south of the center with gales possibly affecting the Australian coast on March 27. On the morning of March 27, the JTWC released its final bulletin on Yali, 325 nautical miles (602 km) east-southeast of Brisbane. The remnants of Yali went under a transformation in the Tasman Sea
. The remnants came under a double jet structure and strong cyclone voritcity advection at 500 millibars. The remnants of Yali deepened and moved towards the southern end of New Zealand
. The central pressure of the remnants reached 970–975 millibars as it crossed the coast of South Island
on March 29. After passing New Zealand, Yali's remnants passed below the Antarctic Circle
and was absorbed by a circumpolar trough between 65°S
and 75°S
. Tanna received rather severe damage from Yali, however monetary estimates are not available. About 60–70 percent of crops were destroyed and about 30% of the houses were damaged by the storm. Both Tanna and Aniwa were suffering a severe drought, so food stocks were low. Other places in Vanatu only received minor damage. The passage of Yali in New Zealand
caused high seas and flooding over South Island, Westport and Nelson. One fatality occurred when a youth died in New Plymouth
. Trees toppled, roofs were ripped off and power lines fell.
with winds of 90 mph (145 km/h). Nothing changed as the month of April opened as Zuman stayed at about 90 mph (145 km/h). On April 3, Zuman reached its peak pressure of 955 millibars. Zuman drifted to the south and then to the southeast. Zuman was slowly weakening due to wind shear. Zuman hugged the entire eastern coast of New Caledonia on April 5. Winds had decreased to 45 mi/h and the advisories discontinued in Fiji, which downgraded it to a depression.
Zuman caused heavy damage in Espiritu Santo
as there were serious damage to dwellings and coconut trees. Nevertheless, there were no deaths resulting from the storm.
Atoll. Over the next couple of days the depression gradually organized further before at 1800 UTC on April 21, RSMC Nadi reported that the depression had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone and named it Alan. During the next day, the NPMOC started to issue warnings on Alan and accidentally designated it as 32P rather than 36P, before reporting later that day that Alan had reached its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (50 mph). RSMC Nadi also reported that the system had peaked as a category one tropical cyclone with peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph).
, on the French Polynesia
n island of Tahiti
. Over the next 24 hours the depression moved quickly to the southeast, while gradually intensifying with nearby automatic weather station
s reporting strong winds and significant pressure drops. At 1800 UTC on April 29, RSMC Nadi named the depression Bart, as it had intensified into a tropical cyclone while the NPMOC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the system. RSMC Nadi then reported 12 hours later that Bart had reached its peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (50 mph), as the system slowed down due to a blocking ridge of high pressure strengthening. Later that day at 1500 UTC, the NPMOC initiated advisories on Bart and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 37P, while it was at its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph). Later that day Bart started to weaken, before on May 1, satellite imagery showed that Bart's, low level center had become exposed as the main area of convection had become sheared. Despite gale force windspeeds occurring in Bart's southern semicircle, the NPMOC and RSMC Nadi reported that the system had weakened into a tropical depression, with the NPMOC subsequently issuing their final advisory on Bart. Later that day the depression accelerated towards the southeast, before Bart dissipated early on May 3, about 100 km (60 mi) to the north of Pitcairn Island. Minor damage was recorded in French Polynesia from Cyclone Bart while 10 deaths were associated with Bart, after waves from the system capsized a boat.
|-
| || Lusi || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, Fiji || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Martin || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Northern Cook Islands, French Polynesia || || 28 ||
|-
| || Nute || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Osea || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || || ||
|-
| || Pam || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Cook Islands || || ||
|-
| || Ron || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Samoan Islands, Tonga || || ||
|-
| || Susan || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, Fiji || || ||
|-
| || Katrina || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Solomon Islands, Vanuatu || ||
|-
| || Tui || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Samoan islands || 1,000,000 || 1 ||
|-
| || Ursula || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || None ||
|-
| || Veli || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || None ||
|-
| || Wes || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Fiji || Unknown || Unknown ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Yali || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Melanesia, Australia, New Zealand || || ||
|-
| || Zuman || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, New Caledonia || || ||
|-
| || Alan || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || || ||
|-
| || Bart || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || ||
|-class="unsortable"
!colspan=10| Season Aggregates
|-class="unsortable"
!colspan=2|21 depressions !! October 8 – May 5 !! !! 230 km/h (145 mph) !! 900 hPa (26.56 inHg) !! !! !!
|}
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 120°W
120th meridian west
The meridian 120° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
. The season started earlier than normal with 3 tropical depressions recorded before the official start of the season on November 1, 1997 while the final depression of the season dissipated on May 3, 1998. There was a tie for the strongest tropical cyclone of the season as both Cyclones Ron and Susan had a minimum pressure of 900 hPa (26.58 inHg), and were the most intense tropical cyclones on record in the South Pacific Ocean until Cyclone Zoe
Cyclone Zoe
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zoe was the most intense tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.-Meteorological history:...
in 2002–03
2002-03 South Pacific cyclone season
Late on July 3, RSMC Nadi reported that Tropical Depression 17F had formed in area of moderate vertical windshear about to the northwest of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. The depression had picked up convection during the previous 24 hours and organized with an upper anticyclonic circulation...
. After the season ended, 10 names had their names either removed or retired from the lists of names, after they caused significant impacts to South Pacific islands.
During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
(RSMC) in Nadi, Fiji
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
and the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers in Brisbane, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited was established as a State-Owned Enterprise in 1992. It employs about 215 staff and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand...
. The United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
through its Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) and Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC), also monitored the basin and issued unofficial warnings for American interests. During the season RSMC Nadi issued warnings and assigned names to any
tropical cyclones that developed between the Equator and 25°S while TCWC Wellington issued warnings for any that were located to the south of 25°S. The JTWC issued warnings for American interests on any significant tropical cyclone that was located between 160°E and the 180°
180°
180 Degree is a 2004 album by MC Mong. This album is MC Mong's first solo album. This album features female vocalist Lyn.-Track listing:# Intro #Ah-oop #180° #그래도 남자니까 #My Memory in 1995...
while the NPMOC issued warnings for tropical cyclones forming between 180° and the American coast. RSMC Nadi and TCWC Wellington measure sustained windspeeds over a 10-minute and used the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, while the JTWC and the NPMOC measured sustained windspeeds over a 1-minute period and are compared to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
(SSHS).
Seasonal predictions
| Record | Season | TC Tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor... |
STC | |
| Average activity | (1969–70 – 1996–97) | 7–8 | 4 | |
| Record high activity | 1982-83 | 14 | 9 | |
| Record low activity | 1994–95 1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season The 1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season was one of the least active tropical cyclone seasons on record, with only three tropical cyclones officially occurring within the South Pacific Ocean basin between 160°E and 120°W... |
3 | 1 | |
| Activity during this season | 16 | 7 |
In October 1997, ahead of the season starting on November 1, the Cook Islands Meteorological Office and the National Disasters Committee, warned that the Cook Islands should expect its worst cyclone season in years. On November 27, New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA , is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts commercial and non-commercial research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences...
, issued a press release, which predicted that because of the strong El Niño phenomenon, there would be more tropical cyclones than average. In particular they predicted that due to the strong El Niño, countries within the western part of the basin were likely to see fewer tropical cyclones during the season than countries within the eastern part of the basin. The Southern Cook islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and French Polynesia, were predicted to have an increased risk, while Fiji was forecast to have an average risk of being affected by a tropical cyclone. NIWA also reported that Cyclone Martin's impact on the Northern Cook Islands was an early sign of what could be expected during the season, because the system had occurred further east than normal.
Seasonal summary
After one of the latest ends to a season on record during 1996–97, the 1997–98 season started early with the formation of Tropical Cyclone Lusi on October 8, about 3 weeks before the season officially started on November 1. Lusi took a so called gentleman's track between Fiji and Vanuatu and had no impact on either country, before dissipating on October 13. Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin then developed
Tropical Cyclone Lusi
On October 4, the JTWC started to monitor an area of disturbed weather, that was located about 500 km (310 mi) to the southeast of Yaren in Nauru. The system initially moved towards the southeast before during October 5, the disturbance recurved and started to move towards the southwest. Over the next few days the disturbance gradually developed further, before at 0000 UTC on October 8, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had developed into a tropical depression while the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alertTropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
five hours later. During that day the developing depression consolidated further before at 2100 UTC, the JTWC initiated advisories on the depression and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 02P. At 1200 UTC on October 9, RSMC Nadi named the depression, Lusi as the system had intensified into the earliest tropical cyclone since 1970 while located about 1020 km (635 mi) to the northwest of Port Villa, Vanuatu. Over the next few days, Lusi moved towards the south-southeast taking a so-called "gentleman's track" between Vanuatu and Fiji. On October 11 RSMC Nadi reported that Lusi had reached its peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 100 km/h (65 mph), while the JTWC also reported that Lusi had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). After it had peaked in intensity, Lusi started to weaken in an area of cooler sea surface temperatures and increasing vertical wind shear, before both RSMC Nadi and the JTWC reported early on October 12 that Lusi had weakened into an extratropical cyclone. The extratropical remnants of Lusi were tracked for another day by RSMC Nadi and the JTWC before they dissipated to the northeast of New Zealand. There was no impact caused by Lusi on any island, though heavy rainfall and gale force windspeeds were reported on several Fijian Islands including Rotuma
Rotuma
Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"...
.
Tropical Depression 03P
On October 24, the United States Navy started to monitor an area of disturbed weather, that was located about 800 km (500 mi) to the north of Nadi, Fiji. Over the next couple of days the system moved towards the southwest before early on October 26, as convection surrounding the system organized further, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had developed into a tropical depression before the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on it. Later that day the JTWC initiated advisories on the depression designating it as Tropical Cyclone 03P, while it was at its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph). Over the next couple of days, a trough of low pressure approached the system, and caused the depression to re-curve towards the southeast before on October 28, the JTWC and RSMC Nadi issued their final bulletins on the system as it dissipated to the northwest of Fiji.Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin
On October 27, RSMC Nadi reported that a tropical disturbance had developed about 1500 km (930 mi) to the northeast of Pago-Pago in American Samoa. Over the next few days, convection surrounding the system remained disorganized as the disturbance was determinately affected by strong upper level winds and a moderate to high amount of vertical windshear. During October 30, the disturbance started to organize slightly before at 1800 UTC the NPMOC initiated advisories on the disturbance and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 04P, with winds equivalent to a weak tropical depression. RSMC Nadi then reported at 0000 UTC that 04P had developed into a tropical depression and was rapidly developing further.Tropical Cyclone Nute
On November 15, the United States Navy started to monitor an area of disturbed weather about 1000 km (620 mi), to the northeast of Suva, Fiji. Over the next few days the system moved towards the west, before it came under the influence of the subtropical ridge of high pressure. At 0000 UTC on November 18, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had become a tropical depression, before the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the depression while it was located about 100 km (60 mi), to the southwest of the Solomon Island: Santa CruzSanta Cruz Islands
The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands. They lie approximately 250 miles to the southeast of the Solomon Islands Chain...
. The JTWC initiated advisories on the depression at 0600 UTC and designated it as 05P, before six hours later, RSMC Nadi named the depression Nute, as it had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone. Over the next day, Nute continued to intensify and developed an eye feature before at 0600UTC on November 19, as the system approached 160°E, RSMC Nadi reported that Nute, had peaked as a category two tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). Later that day, the JTWC reported that Nute had reached a 1-minute peak intensity of 140 km/h (85 mph), before RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility to TCWC Brisbane, as Nute had moved into the Australian region
1997-98 Australian region cyclone season
The 1997–98 Australian region cyclone season was an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1997 to 30 April 1998...
. As Nute did not affect any islands while it was in the South Pacific there was no impact reported.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Osea
A new tropical depression formed on November 22 at 0000 UTC, northeast of Manihiki AtollManihiki
Manihiki is an island in the Cook Islands known as the Island of Pearls. It is a triangular atoll north of Rarotonga.- History :Polynesians are believed to have lived on Manihiki since at least 900 or 1000 AD. Kupe was the first to explore Aotea Roa. Kupe came from Manihiki, also known as...
. Tropical Depression 06P stayed weak for the next few days as the NPMOC did not start issuing warnings on this depression until the afternoon of November 23. TD-06P moved on a southeasterly course and was christened the name Osea by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
on November 24. Osea began to intensify and reached hurricane intensity the next day. Osea’s winds peaked at 80 mph (135 km/h) in 10-min winds (105 mph in 1-min winds). Afterwards, Osea began to weaken and passed close Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
on November 28 with winds of only 40 mph (60 km/h). The last advisory was released on November 28 at 600 UTC. Peak intensity was 950 millibars.
The damage in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
was catastrophic. Over 700 buildings were destroyed in Bora-Bora, Raiatea
Raiatea
Raiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
and Maupiti
Maupiti
Maupiti is a small coral atoll with a volcanic island in its midst.-Geography:Maupiti is located to the west of the Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. It is the westernmost volcanic high island in the archipelago, 40 km west of Bora Bora. The central island of Maupiti has a high peak of 380...
. On Manupiti, about 95 percent of the island was destroyed, including the town hall, two schools, and an airfield. On Bora-Bora, only about 30 percent of the infrastructure was destroyed. No fatalities were reported however.
Tropical Cyclone Pam
The first bulletin was issued for a developing depression, Tropical Depression 07P, on December 5. Pam caused little damage on the island. TD-07P was located near American SamoaAmerican Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and southeast of the newly formed Tropical Storm Paka
Typhoon Paka
Typhoon Paka was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific Ocean hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 from a trough well to the southwest of Hawaii...
in the Central North Pacific. Paka and TD-07P were cyclonic twins, forming from the same equatorial wind burst. The system developed slowly while it drifted to the south-southeast. By 1800 UTC, TD-07P was west of Manihiki Atoll
Manihiki
Manihiki is an island in the Cook Islands known as the Island of Pearls. It is a triangular atoll north of Rarotonga.- History :Polynesians are believed to have lived on Manihiki since at least 900 or 1000 AD. Kupe was the first to explore Aotea Roa. Kupe came from Manihiki, also known as...
with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). Maximum sustained winds reached gale-force on December 6, as Paka and TD-07P were splitting farther and farther apart (Paka, which was reaching the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
). The storm was named Pam and moved close to Suwarrow Atoll
Suwarrow
Suwarrow is a low coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is about 1,300 km south of the equator and 930 km NNW of Rarotonga, from which it is administered....
on December 6. On December 8, Pam passed due east of Palmerston Island
Palmerston Island
Palmerston Island is a coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean about 500 km northwest of Rarotonga. It was discovered by James Cook on 16 June 1774.-Overview:...
, sustaining winds of 65 mi/h.
Pam passed by Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
early on December 9 as a weakening cyclone. Rarotonga recorded winds of 44 mi/h and gusts of 74 mi/h. Coincidentally, the low pressure of 986 millibars was not recorded until the next day. Instead of dropping in pressure, Pam decreased gradually and then a gradual increase in the next 12 hours. This occurrence may have shown that Pam was becoming extratropical. The weakening cyclone passed southeast of Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
around 1200 UTC December 9. The island recorded winds of 30 mi/h and a minimal pressure of 996 millibars. Pam weakened gradually, losing tropical characteristics. The RSMC in Nadi downgraded Pam into a tropical storm on December 10.
Damage on Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
was light, being limited from down power lines to fallen trees. A few houses lost their roofs and low-lying roads sustained flooding. 149 millimeters of rain fell on Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
during a six-hour period. No fatalities were reported in accordance with Tropical Cyclone Pam.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Susan
On December 20, the USN and RSMC Nadi, started to monitor a weak tropical disturbance that was located about 915 km (570 mi), to the north-northwest of Pago-Pago in American SamoaAmerican Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. Over the next 12 days the system remained weak while gradually moving towards the southwest, before on January 2 the disturbance started to develop further. At 0000 UTC on January 3, the USN's JTWC designated the disturbance 11P and initiated advisories on the system while it had 1-minute wind speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph), which are equivalent to a tropical storm. Six hours later at 0600 UTC, RSMC Nadi reported that the disturbance had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Susan. However in its post storm analysis RSMC Nadi reported that they should off named it, 18 hours earlier at 1200 UTC, January 2. By 0600 UTC on January 3, the cyclone was located about 765 km (475 mi) to the northeast of Port Villa on the Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
an island of Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
. During that day Susan rapidly intensified further in an area of low vertical wind shear, while moving towards the west. As a result of the intensification RSMC Nadi reported at 0000 UTC the next day, that Susan had become a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, while the JTWC reported that the cyclone had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Throughout January 4, Susan continued to rapidly intensify while moving towards the west-southwest towards Vanuatu, before at 0000 UTC on January 5, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had become a category 5 severe tropical cyclone, with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 120 knots. The JTWC also reported at this time that Susan had become equivalent to a Super Typhoon with 1-minute wind speeds of 130 knots. Six hours later RSMC Nadi reported that Susan had reached its peak 10-minute peak sustained wind speeds of 145 mph (225 km/h). The JTWC also reported at this time that the system had peaked but with 1-minute wind speeds of 260 km/h (160 mph) which is equivalent to a weak category 5 hurricane on the SSHS. As it reached its peak intensity, Susan was still moving towards the southwest and as a result, it "posed a severe threat to Vanuatu," however during that afternoon, Susan recurved towards the southeast "just in time to spare Vanuatu, a direct hit.” After turning away from Vanuatu, Susan accelerated towards the southeast while remaining near or at its peak intensities, before starting to weaken significantly during January 7. RSMC Nadi then reported early the nest day, that Susan had weakened into a category 4 severe tropical cyclone while it was located about 435 km (270.3 mi), to the southeast of Nadi, Fiji. Later that day, as Susan interacted with Ron RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility for Susan to TCWC Wellington, while the NPMOC took over the responsibility for issuing warnings for American interests from the JTWC. By 0000 UTC on January 9, Susan had completely absorbed Ron, before at 0600 UTC TCWC Wellington and the NPMOC reported that the Susan had become extratropical. Susans remnants were monitored by TCWC Wellington for another day until they were last noted at 1200 UTC about 2500 km to the southeast of Wellington, New Zealand.
Total damage from Susan was minor. High seas in accordance with Susan inundated the village of Talaulia on Kadavu, Fiji. There was also some destroyed waterfront buildings, roads, jetties and bridges on Kadavu. In Beqa Island, only high seas and swells were experienced. In the town of Lautoka, on Viti Levu, roofs were blown off shops. This damage was possibly caused by a tornado that formed from one of the outer rain bands. One death was reported in accordance with Susan. This death was on Ambrym Island in Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, where a woman was killed by a falling coconut palm tree.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ron
The first tropical depression advisory was released on January 1 at 600 UTC to a depression that was to become Tropical Cyclone Ron. Ron drifted slowly for the next four days and reached tropical cyclone intensity on January 2 near SamoaSamoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. As a cyclone, Ron passed close to Swains Island
Swains Island
Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain. Culturally a part of Tokelau, it is an unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States administered by American Samoa. Swains Island has also been known at various times as Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa...
on January 3 and intensified gradually after that. Peak 10-minute winds of 145 mph (225 km/h) were reached on January 5 north of Apia, American Samoa. Ron maintained that intensity for about 36 hours and began to move in a south-southeasterly course on January 6. Around 1800 UTC that day, Ron passed near Niuafo'ou, which reported sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). The RSMC Nadi discussion at 1800 UTC noted that Ron may have had a smaller gale radius than had been thought. After passing Niuafo'ou, Ron passed to the south of Samoa and weakened. Ron started to move faster and weakened rapidly, merging with Tropical Cyclone Susan on January 9. Ron's lowest pressure was 900 millibars and 1-minute winds of 165 mph (265 km/h).
Damage on Niuafo'ou was catastrophic. About 67 percent of the buildings on were either damaged or destroyed completely. Agricultural losses included 80–90 percent of the coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
trees were damaged. Crops such as taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
, kape
Kape
Kape could refer to:*KAPE, a radio station licensed to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States.*Kape Alamid, also known as Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee, a coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet.*Kape Barako, also...
, manioc, and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s were lost. The Tonga Chronicle reported that it would take at least five years to return crops to pre-cyclone stages. Damages and rehabilitation totaled out 1.1 million in Tongan dollars. However, no fatalities were reported on the island. Neighboring islands Niuatoputapu
Niuatoputapu
For the 2009 tsunami, see the main article: 2009 Samoa tsunami.Niuatoputapu is an island in the island nation of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. Its name means sacred island. Older European names for the island are Traitors island or Keppel island.Niuatoputapu is located in the north of the country,...
, Tafahi
Tafahi
Tafahi is a small island in the north of the Tonga archipelago, in fact closer to Savaii than the main islands of Tonga. It is only north-northeast away from Niuatoputapu, and fishermen communicate in small outboard motorboats almost daily between the two.Other names for Tafahi are Cocos Eylant ...
, and Vava'u
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
sustained damage as well, but not as severe as Niuafo'ou. No reports of damage came from Swain's Island and Wallis Island
Wallis Island
Wallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
. Ron's peak intensity of 900 millibars was the strongest of the season in the Southern Pacific and the strongest since Tropical Cyclone Hina in March 1985.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Katrina
Cyclone Katrina was one of the longest-lived South Pacific cyclones on record, lasting 24 days while moving erratically east of Australia. Katrina formed on January 1, 1998 340 nautical miles (630 km) east-northeast of Cairns and 425 nautical miles (787 km) southeast of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Katrina became a tropical storm on January 3 and was moving slowly to the east-northeast. The cyclone was affected by Cyclone Susan which was 1000 nautical miles (1,852 km) east of Katrina. On January 7, Susan moved further south allowing Katrina to intensify as it neared the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, this proved to be the northernmost point of Katrina's track as the storm turned east-southeast and then southeast, fluctuating in hurricane strength. On January 9, Cyclone Katrina threatened Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
when it stalled about 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) west-northwest of Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
and reversed direction and moved west due a high pressure system. On January 11, Katrina moved south of Rennell Island
Rennell Island
Rennell Island, locally known as Mungava, is the main island of two inhabited islands that make up the Rennell and Bellona Province in the Solomon Islands. Rennell Island has a land area of that is about long and wide. It is the second largest raised coral atoll in the world with the largest lake...
and then crossed back into the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
area six hours later where it crossed the 160E on its eastward journey, then the storm turned west where it maintained that course until January 15. On the 15th, the storm moved south-southwest where it reached Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale Category 2 strength with a barometric pressure of 940 mbar. Katrina weakened rapidly and slowed before making a tight loop on January 17 and January 18. After completing the loop, Cyclone Katrina moved east for 12 hours before moving east-southeast for three days. During that time, Katrina briefly reached Category 1 strength once more before slowing down and being affected by wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
. By January 24, Katrina had weakened to a tropical depression and on January 25, Katrina dissipated 250 nautical miles (463 km) east of Townsville.
One person drowned off the coast of Vanuatu in rough seas produced by the storm. Throughout the Solomon Islands, 650 homes were destroyed by Katrina, most of which were on the islands of Rennel and Bellona.
Tropical Cyclone Tui
On January 25, both RSMC Nadi and the NPMOC reported that Tropical Depression 16P, had developed about 360 km (225 mi) to the northwest of Apia, SamoaApia, Samoa
-Administration:Apia is part of the Tuamasaga political district and of election district Vaimauga West and Faleata East. There is no city administration for Apia. Apia consists of some 45 individual, independent villages...
. During that day, as the depression moved towards the southeast it gradually intensified further before at 2100 UTC, RSMC Nadi reported that the depression had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone, and named it as Tui, while it was located about 80 km (50 mi) to the northwest of Apia. After it was named, Tui passed over the Samoan Islands of Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
and Savai'i
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
, before at 0600 UTC, both RSMC Nadi and the NPMOC reported that Tui had peaked with 10 and 1 minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph). After it had crossed Samoa, the system remained near stationary, just to the south of Samoa, before early on January 27 both the NPMOC and RSMC Nadi, reported that Tui had weakened into a depression and issued their final advisories. After being downgraded to a depression, the system remained in the vicinity of the Samoan islands, before it possibly redeveloped into Tropical Cyclone Wes. Large crop losses and some infrastructure damage was reported in American Samoa and Western Samoa after gale force windspeeds, heavy rain and rough seas brought down, power lines, trees and other debris. On the Western Samoan island of Savai'i, a young boy was killed when he stepped into an electrified puddle of water.
Tropical Cyclone Ursula
At 1800 UTC on January 29, RSMC Nadi reported that a depression had developed about 465 km (290 mi), to the northeast of PapeetePapeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
on the French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
n island of Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. During the next day, the depression gradually developed further as it moved towards the southeast before at 1800 UTC RSMC Nadi named the depression Ursula as it had developed into a category one tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Over the next few days, Ursula gradually intensified and got caught up in the westerly flow
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
, before accelerating towards the southeast and passing through the Tuamotu archipelago. Early on February 1, RSMC Nadi passed the primary warning responsibility for Ursula to TCWC Wellington, as the system reached its peak 10-minute windspeeds of 110 km/h (65 mph), equivalent to a category two tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Around the same time, the NPMOC designated Ursula as Tropical Cyclone 17P and started to issue warnings, while it was at its peak 1-minute windspeeds of 120 km/h (75 mph). During that day, the system went through an extratropical transition with the NPMOC issuing their final warning at 1800 UTC, before TCWC Wellington declared Ursula extratropical at 0600 UTC on February 2. The extratropical remnants of Ursula, were then tracked by TCWC Wellington until they dissipated on February 5 over the southeastern Pacific Ocean, about 4350 km (2700 mi) to the south of Lima, Peru. In association with Tropical Cyclone Veli, Ursula brought significant waves which caused minor damages to three Tuamotuan islands of Mataiva, Rangiroa, Makatea. Mataiva was the worst hit island with roads and bridges washed away, and 39 homes damaged. On Makatea island five houses were damaged while operations at Rangiroa's airstrip were disrupted after coral and sand washed up onshore.
Tropical Cyclone Veli
Two tropical depressions formed on January 31. The first, about 125 nautical miles (232 km) off of Western Samoa, went on to become Tropical Cyclone Wes (see below). The Regional Specialized Meteorological CentreRegional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
named the second and more eastern depression Veli the next day in Nadi with winds of 40 mph (60 km/h). Veli continued in a more southeasterly direction and reached a peak intensity of 65 mph (105 km/h) on February 2. At 2100 UTC that day, an NPMOC warning stated that a scatterometer reading found winds of 55 mi/h. Like the storm before this, Ursula, Veli crossed the Tuamotus Islands. However, unlike Ursula, Veli was not caught in the westerlies and shoot off to the southeast. The last warning was released on February 3, when Veli 500 nautical miles (926 km) southeast of Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
.
Tropical Cyclone Wes
On January 31, RSMC Nadi reported that a tropical depression had developed aboutTropical Depression
This Tropical Depression affected Fiji on February 18–19, and caused severe flooding in Labasa, and other low lying parts of Fiji.Tropical Depression
On February 28, RSMC Nadi reported that a tropical depression had developed about 270 nm to the southeast of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. During that day convection surrounding the system organized rapidly and the depression was given a good chance of developing further. Over the next couple of days the depression drifted slowly to the southeast without strengthening significantly before on March 2, RSMC Nadi issued their final advisory on the depression.Tropical Depression
On February 28, RSMC Nadi reported that a weak tropical depression had developed about 300 nm to the northwest of Tahiti. During that day the depression did not develop any further and RSMC Nadi issued their final advisory early on March 1. No warnings were issued by the NPMOC on this system.Severe Tropical Cyclone Yali
A well-defined low formed in the Southwest Pacific on March 18. Yalidrifted west between Vanatu and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, while strengthening slowly. The RSMC in Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
named the system Yali on March 19 at 1800 UTC. The first Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
warning was issued on March 18, placing the low 350 nautical miles (648.2 km) north-northwest of Port Vila. Until this point, Yali had been moving to the southwest, but by March 20, the cyclone began moving on a southeasterly course, due to a strengthening monsoon flow. For the next 2½ days, Yali moved to the southeast, passing west of the Vanatu Islands. Yali came close enough to affect the isles of Tanna and Aneityum. Yali reached hurricane-force on the afternoon of March 21 and passed 60 nautical miles (111.1 km) west of Port Vila the next day. Yali's peak intensity of 80 mi/h and 965 millibars was reached on March 22 at 600 UTC. At this time, Yali was just south of Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
, brushing it with 15 mi/h winds and a minimal pressure of 992 millibars. There was a possibility that the low wind reading based on poor exposure of the instrument. By 1800 UTC March 22, Yali reached its most easternmost position at 220 nautical miles (407.4 km) southeast of Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
. The upper ridge to its north intensified, increasing wind shear and limiting convection. Due to this, Yali began to weaken and dropped below hurricane force. At around the same time, a mid-level subtropical ridge began to influence its motion, sending it to the west. As Yali moved to the southwest, the wind field became asymmetric. At 1200 UTC March 23, Yali was just east of Noumea, New Caledonia with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). The weakening Yali passed just south of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
on the night of March 23. By March 25, an upper-level low had caught the cyclone and influenced the circulation with cold air.
The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
downgraded Yali into an extratropical system and stopped issuing advisories. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center continued to track Yali in the general direction of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The now semi-tropical Yali moved to the west and crossed 160°E
160th meridian east
The meridian 160° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
on March 25. By the next day, Yali's center was 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) east-northeast of Brisbane, Australia. Some convection was re-developing just south of the center with gales possibly affecting the Australian coast on March 27. On the morning of March 27, the JTWC released its final bulletin on Yali, 325 nautical miles (602 km) east-southeast of Brisbane. The remnants of Yali went under a transformation in the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
. The remnants came under a double jet structure and strong cyclone voritcity advection at 500 millibars. The remnants of Yali deepened and moved towards the southern end of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The central pressure of the remnants reached 970–975 millibars as it crossed the coast of South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
on March 29. After passing New Zealand, Yali's remnants passed below the Antarctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
The Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs south of the Equator.-Description:...
and was absorbed by a circumpolar trough between 65°S
65th meridian east
The meridian 65° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 75°S
75th parallel south
The 75th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 75 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane in the Antarctic. The parallel passes through the Southern Ocean and Antarctica....
. Tanna received rather severe damage from Yali, however monetary estimates are not available. About 60–70 percent of crops were destroyed and about 30% of the houses were damaged by the storm. Both Tanna and Aniwa were suffering a severe drought, so food stocks were low. Other places in Vanatu only received minor damage. The passage of Yali in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
caused high seas and flooding over South Island, Westport and Nelson. One fatality occurred when a youth died in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
. Trees toppled, roofs were ripped off and power lines fell.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zuman
A tropical depression formed on March 29 about 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) northeast of Port Vila. The depression became Tropical Cyclone Zuman on March 30. Zuman moved westward until March 31, when it rapidly strengthened and turned southward. Zuman struck the island of Espiritu SantoEspiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
with winds of 90 mph (145 km/h). Nothing changed as the month of April opened as Zuman stayed at about 90 mph (145 km/h). On April 3, Zuman reached its peak pressure of 955 millibars. Zuman drifted to the south and then to the southeast. Zuman was slowly weakening due to wind shear. Zuman hugged the entire eastern coast of New Caledonia on April 5. Winds had decreased to 45 mi/h and the advisories discontinued in Fiji, which downgraded it to a depression.
Zuman caused heavy damage in Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
as there were serious damage to dwellings and coconut trees. Nevertheless, there were no deaths resulting from the storm.
Tropical Cyclone Alan
On April 17, RSMC Nadi reported that a tropical disturbance had developed to the east of the northern Cook Islands. During April 18, the disturbance gradually developed further while moving towards the southeast before on April 19, RSMC Nadi reported that the disturbance had developed, into a tropical depression while located about 555 km (345 mi), to the southeast of ManihikiManihiki
Manihiki is an island in the Cook Islands known as the Island of Pearls. It is a triangular atoll north of Rarotonga.- History :Polynesians are believed to have lived on Manihiki since at least 900 or 1000 AD. Kupe was the first to explore Aotea Roa. Kupe came from Manihiki, also known as...
Atoll. Over the next couple of days the depression gradually organized further before at 1800 UTC on April 21, RSMC Nadi reported that the depression had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone and named it Alan. During the next day, the NPMOC started to issue warnings on Alan and accidentally designated it as 32P rather than 36P, before reporting later that day that Alan had reached its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (50 mph). RSMC Nadi also reported that the system had peaked as a category one tropical cyclone with peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph).
Tropical Cyclone Bart
On April 28, RSMC Nadi reported that a tropical depression had developed about 655 km (405 mi) to the northeast of PapeetePapeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, on the French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
n island of Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. Over the next 24 hours the depression moved quickly to the southeast, while gradually intensifying with nearby automatic weather station
Automatic weather station
An automatic weather station is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labour or to enable measurements from remote areas...
s reporting strong winds and significant pressure drops. At 1800 UTC on April 29, RSMC Nadi named the depression Bart, as it had intensified into a tropical cyclone while the NPMOC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the system. RSMC Nadi then reported 12 hours later that Bart had reached its peak 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (50 mph), as the system slowed down due to a blocking ridge of high pressure strengthening. Later that day at 1500 UTC, the NPMOC initiated advisories on Bart and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 37P, while it was at its peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 65 km/h (40 mph). Later that day Bart started to weaken, before on May 1, satellite imagery showed that Bart's, low level center had become exposed as the main area of convection had become sheared. Despite gale force windspeeds occurring in Bart's southern semicircle, the NPMOC and RSMC Nadi reported that the system had weakened into a tropical depression, with the NPMOC subsequently issuing their final advisory on Bart. Later that day the depression accelerated towards the southeast, before Bart dissipated early on May 3, about 100 km (60 mi) to the north of Pitcairn Island. Minor damage was recorded in French Polynesia from Cyclone Bart while 10 deaths were associated with Bart, after waves from the system capsized a boat.
Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific basin during the 1997–98 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damages. For most storms the data is taken from RSMC Nadi's and or TCWC Wellington's archives, however data for 03P has been taken from the JTWC/NPMOC archives as opposed to RSMC Nadi's or TCWC Wellington's, and thus the winds are over 1-minute as opposed to 10-minutes.|-
| || Lusi || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, Fiji || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Martin || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Northern Cook Islands, French Polynesia || || 28 ||
|-
| || Nute || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Osea || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || || ||
|-
| || Pam || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Cook Islands || || ||
|-
| || Ron || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Samoan Islands, Tonga || || ||
|-
| || Susan || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, Fiji || || ||
|-
| || Katrina || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Solomon Islands, Vanuatu || ||
|-
| || Tui || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Samoan islands || 1,000,000 || 1 ||
|-
| || Ursula || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || None ||
|-
| || Veli || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || None ||
|-
| || Wes || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Fiji || Unknown || Unknown ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || None || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || None || None || None ||
|-
| || Yali || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Melanesia, Australia, New Zealand || || ||
|-
| || Zuman || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || Vanuatu, New Caledonia || || ||
|-
| || Alan || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || || ||
|-
| || Bart || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#| || French Polynesia || Minor || ||
|-class="unsortable"
!colspan=10| Season Aggregates
|-class="unsortable"
!colspan=2|21 depressions !! October 8 – May 5 !! !! 230 km/h (145 mph) !! 900 hPa (26.56 inHg) !! !! !!
|}
Retirement
After the season ended, the names Martin, Osea, Ron, Susan, Tui, Ursula and Veli were retired from the list. They were replaced with Mike, Odile, Reuben, Solo, Tuni, Ula, and Victor.See also
- List of Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane seasons: 19971997 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1997 Atlantic hurricane season is the most recent Atlantic hurricane season to feature no tropical cyclones in August. The season officially began on June 1, 1997, and lasted until November 30, 1997...
, 19981998 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1998 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1998, and lasted until November 30, 1998. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin; however, the season extended through December 1 as Hurricane Nicole remained... - Pacific hurricane seasons: 19971997 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1997 Pacific hurricane season was a very active hurricane season. With hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, this season was the costliest and one of the deadliest Pacific hurricane seasons. This was due to a strong El Niño...
, 19981998 Pacific hurricane seasonThe 1998 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active Pacific hurricane season with seven tropical cyclones directly affecting land. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 in the central Pacific, and ended on November 30; these dates conventionally delimit... - Pacific typhoon seasons: 19971997 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 1997 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1997, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern...
, 19981998 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 1998 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November... - North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 19971997 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 1997 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.-Season summary:Five tropical...
, 19981998 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 1998 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an active season in annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the...