Tropical Cyclones are one of the most extreme weather events to affect the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, with an average of 8 systems impacting the country per decade. Within the islands, tropical cyclones cause high winds and rainfall as well as storm surges and swells with the resulting flooding causing agricultural losses, damage to buildings and roads along the coast.
Background
The island nation of Tuvalu is situated in the Pacific Ocean, in between Fiji and Kiribati as well as the west-northwest of Tokelau, Samoa and Wallis and Futuna. It is composed of three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176° to 180°, west of the International Date Line.
Climotology
Tropical Cyclones (Saikolone's) are the most extreme weather events to affect Tuvalu, with an average of 8 systems passing within its Exclusive Economic Zone each decade.[1] However, the number of tropical cyclones inside Tuvalu's exclusive economic zone, varies widely from year to year, with none in some seasons but up to three in others.[2] Severe Tropical Cyclones are rarely observed around the islands, with only 1 or 2 expected to impact the islands every 50 years.[3][4] The island nation was previously thought to lie outside of the main belt of tropical cyclone activity in the South Pacific.[5] However, tropical cyclones occurred more frequently around the island nation between 1972 and 1992, when compared to the period between 1940 and 1970.[5] Some of this apparent increase was put down to better record-keeping and cyclical shifts in weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, while global warming induced by human activities was cited as a possible cause.[5] It is projected that there will be a decrease in the frequency of tropical cyclones, in and around Tuvalu by the end of the 21st century.[2] However, it is also forecast that there will be an increase in the number of more intense tropical cyclones.[2]
Within the islands, tropical cyclones cause high winds and rainfall as well as storm surges and swells, with the resulting flooding causing agricultural losses, damage to buildings and roads along the coast.
Because of the low elevation, the islands that make up this nation are vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones and by the threat of current and future sea level rise.[6] The highest elevation is 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level on Niulakita,[7] which gives Tuvalu the second-lowest maximum elevation of any country (after the Maldives). However, the highest elevations are typically in narrow storm dunes on the ocean side of the islands which are prone to overtopping in tropical cyclones, as occurred with Cyclone Bebe, which was a very early-season storm that passed through the Tuvaluan atolls in October 1972 Cyclone Bebe submerged Funafuti, eliminating 90% of structures on the island. Sources of drinking water were contaminated as a result of the system's storm surge and fresh water flooding.
George Westbrook, a trader on Funafuti, recorded a cyclone that struck Funafuti in 1883. A cyclone caused severe damage to the islands in 1894.
Cyclone Bebe in 1972 caused severe damage to Funafuti. Funafuti’s Tepuka Vili Vili islet was devastated by Cyclone Meli in 1979, with all its vegetation and most of its sand swept away during the cyclone.
1800's
- 1883 – George Westbrook, a trader on Funafuti, recorded a cyclone that struck in 1883. At the time the cyclone struck he was the sole inhabitant of Funafuti as Tema, the Samoan missionary had taken everyone else to Funafala to work on erecting a church. The buildings on Funafuti were destroyed, including the church and the trade stores of George Westbrook and Alfred Restieaux. Little damage had occurred at Funafala and the people returned to rebuild at Funafuti.[8]
1940s
- February 4, 1940 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- February 14, 1940 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- February 25, 1942 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- January 27, 1944 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- January 21, 1948 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
1950s
1960s
1970s
- February 21, 1972 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- October 19, 1972 – Tropical Cyclone Bebe.[9][11][12]
- December 11, 1976 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- November 24, 1977 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- January 3, 1979 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- March 1979 - Meli.[13]
- December 27, 1979 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
Season 1971 / 1972 \ WENDY
Season 1972 / 1973 \ BEBE
Season 1973 / 1974 \ PAM
Season 1975 / 1976 \ DAVID
Season 1976 / 1977 \ KIM \ LAURIE
Season 1977 / 1978 \ BOB \ CHARLES \ STEVE
Season 1978 / 1979 \ FAY \ GORDON
1980s
- March 25, 1980 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- February 8, 1981 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- March 1, 1981 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- January 6, 1982 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- March 23, 1983 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- December 26, 1984 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- January 8, 1985 – A tropical cyclone existed near Tuvalu.[9]
- December 21 – 23, 1986 – A tropical cyclone alert was issued during December 21, as Cyclone Raja's precursor tropical depression was expected to impact the island nation.[14] This alert was subsequently cancelled during December 23, after the system had failed to deepen, as quickly as had been expected.[14] However, strong gusty winds and high seas associated with the system caused extensive damage to crops, coastal installations and buildings, as well as flooding of low lying areas.[15]
- January 1987 – During the following month westerly winds associated with the development of Cyclone Tusi, were responsible for coastal erosion at several places on the Tuvaluan island of Funafuti.[16]
- December 1987 – During the following December two tropical depressions formed near Tuvalu, but both quickly dissipated due to their surrounding upper-level conditions being unfavorable.[17]
- January 1987 – Cyclone Anne subsequently passed through the central islands of Tuvalu during January 1988, and caused minor damage to houses and crops such as bananas and coconuts.[17]
Season 1979 / 1980 \ OFA \ VAL
Season 1980 / 1981 \ ARTHUR \ CLIFF \ ESAU \ UNNAMED-SP198008
Season 1982 / 1983 \ KINA \ SARAH
Season 1983 / 1984 \ UNNAMED-2
Season 1984 / 1985 \ DRENA \ UNNAMED-1
Season 1986 / 1987 \ PATSY \ RAJA \ WINI
Season 1987 / 1988 \ ANNE \ BOLA
1990s
Cyclone Ofa
Along with a tropical depression that affected the islands a few days later, Severe Tropical Cyclone Ofa had a major impact on Tuvalu during January and February 1990, with most islands reporting damage to vegetation and crops.[18][19][20] On Vaitupu Island around 85 percent of residential homes, trees and food crops were destroyed, while residential homes were also destroyed on the islands of Niutao, Nui and Nukulaelae.[20] There was a minor loss of the landscape because of sea flooding on Nui and Niulakita.[18] In Funafuti sea waves flattened the Hurricane Bebe bank at the southern end of the airstrip, which caused sea flooding and prompted the evacuation of several families from their homes.[21] After the systems had impacted Tuvalu, a Disaster Rehabilitation Sub-Committee was appointed which evaluated the damage caused and made recommendations to the National Disaster Committee and to Cabinet of what should be done to help rehabilitate the affected areas.[20]
- March 16, 1990 - Tropical Cyclone Rae's precursor tropical depression caused heavy rain and strong winds over the island nation.[22]
1990–91
1991–92
As Severe Tropical Cyclone Val was developing Tuvalu was influenced by an active convergence zone and north-westerly winds, associated with the system but no damage was reported.[23]
1992–93
Nina/Kina
1996–97
During the 1996–97 season Severe Tropical Cyclone's Gavin, Hina and Keli all affected the island nation, and were responsible for about 50 hectares (120 acres) of land disappearing into the sea.[24]
- March 5 - 7, 1997 - Gavin
- March 12 - 18, 1997 - Hina
- June 12 - 16, 1997 - Keli
Season 1989 / 1990 \ OFA \ RAE
Season 1990 / 1991 \ SINA
Season 1991 / 1992 \ INNIS \ VAL
Season 1992 / 1993 \ JONI \ NINA
Season 1993 / 1994 \ TOMAS
2000s
Season 2002 / 2003\ AMI\ ZOE
Season 2003 / 2004\ HETA
Season 2004 / 2005\ KERRY\ OLAF\ PERCY\ RAE\ SHEILA
Season 2005 / 2006\ TAM\ VAIANU\ WATI
Season 2006 / 2007\ ARTHUR\ CLIFF
Season 2007 / 2008\ DAMAN\ GENE
Season 2008 / 2009\ HETTIE\ LIN
Season 2009 / 2010\ MICK
2010s
- January 26 – 31, 2010 – Tropical Cyclone Nisha coincided with the King tides, with coastal and low lying areas severely affected. As a result, heavy erosion was recorded, while piles of rubble accumulated along the western coast of Funafuti.
- March 11 – 16, 2010 – Severe Tropical Cyclone Tomas passed near Niulakita Island as a category 2 tropical cyclone. As a result, shipping schedules were delayed and international flights to the island nation were cancelled.
- January 23 – 30, 2011 – Severe Tropical Cyclones Wilma and Yasi delayed shipping schedules, which affected students of the secondary school in Vaitupu and those who studied in Fiji. The outer islands ran out of fresh supplies due to rough seas.
- November 21 - 24, 2014 - 01F
- February 2 - 4, 2015 - 10F
- March 6 - 15, 2015 - Pam
- Ula
- Winston
- January 16 – 18, 2020 – A convergence zone associated with Severe Tropical Cyclone Tino impacted the island nation.
- February 14 – 21, 2020 – Tropical Disturbance 07F existed near the islands.
Season 2009 / 2010 \ OLI
Season 2015 / 2016 \ TUNI \ ULA \ WINSTON
Season 2016 / 2017 \ ELLA