Cyclone Raja
NPMOC) | |
Highest winds | 165 km/h (105 mph) |
---|---|
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 2 confirmed |
Damage | $14 million (1987 USD) |
Areas affected | Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1986–87 South Pacific cyclone season |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Raja was a
Raja caused one death as it impacted the island nations of
Meteorological history
The
After the system was named Tropical Cyclone Raja by the FMS on 23 December; the United States
The FMS estimated on 28 December that Raja had peaked with 10-minute sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h), which made it a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the
Effects
Severe Tropical Cyclone Raja was responsible for a single death as it impacted Fiji and parts of Polynesia, before its name was later retired from the South Pacific lists of tropical cyclone names.[6][2] When the FMS began monitoring Raja as a tropical depression on 21 December, they issued a tropical cyclone alert for Tuvalu.[3] Although the system moved southwest and affected Tuvalu as expected, it failed to deepen as quickly as anticipated. However, its strong, gusty winds and high seas caused extensive damage to crops, coastal installations and buildings and flooded low-lying areas on the island nation.[3][10]
Raja was expected to begin moving southeast after it passed near Rotuma on 24 December, which prompted the FMS to issue a tropical cyclone alert for the Tongan islands of Niuafoʻou and Keppel.[3] Gale warnings were issued on 25 December for the two islands and remained in place until 28 December, when the system had turned southwest and moved well away from the islands.[3] A tropical cyclone alert was issued for the islands of southern Tonga on 29 December, when the possibility arose that Raja would turn southeast and affect central and southern Tonga.[3] A gale warning was subsequently issued for Tongatapu and the Nomuka group of islands before all warnings for Tonga were cancelled on 30 December.[3]
Wallis and Futuna
Precipitation | Storm | Location | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | mm | in | |||
1 | 674.9 | 26.57 | Raja 1986 | Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [11] |
2 | 556.7 | 21.92 | Fran 1992 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [11] |
3 | 291.2 | 11.46 | Val 1975 |
Hihifo, Wallis Island | [11] |
4 | 220.6 | 8.69 | Hina 1997 | Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [11] |
5 | 186.0 | 7.32 | Evan 2012 | Futuna Island | [11] |
6 | 180.0 | 7.09 | Val 1980 |
Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [11] |
7 | 171.6 | 6.76 | Keli 1997 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [11] |
8 | 160.8 | 6.33 | Unnamed 1966 | Malaetoli, Wallis Island | [11] |
9 | 160.0 | 6.30 | Amos 2016 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [12] |
10 | 119.0 | 4.69 | Waka 2001 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [11] |
Raja impacted the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna on 25–29 December, and was responsible for one death as well as extensive damage to the islands' crops, coastal installations and buildings.[13][11][14][15] A storm warning was issued by the FMS for Futuna on 24 December and remained in place until 28 December while the system made a cyclonic loop near the island.[3] The system brought gale-force winds to Wallis, and was thought to have brought hurricane-force winds to Futuna; this could not be verified since the weather station was blown down.[6] It also generated high seas, flooding, landslides and a storm surge which damaged Futuna's grass airstrip.[6][16][17] On 26 December, a record 24-hour rainfall total of 674.9 mm (26.57 in) and a minimum pressure of 969.2 hectopascals (28.62 inHg) were recorded at the Maopoopo weather station on Futuna.[11][18] The Maopoopo station also recorded a wind gust of 133 km/h (83 mph) before its anemometer was destroyed, and a record wind gust of 137 km/h (85 mph) was recorded in Wallis' Hihifo District.[7][18][19] The record was broken during Severe Tropical Cyclone Evan in December 2012, when a wind gust of 156 km/h (97 mph) was recorded at the Hihifo aerodrome.[19]
Communications between the islands were lost on 27 December, before an intermittent radio link was established later that day to transmit damage reports.[20] The reports indicated that Futuna was the worst affected, with severe damage reported to well-built houses; less well-built houses were completely destroyed.[6][20] About 80 percent of the island's crops were destroyed, and the territorial administration building, police headquarters and hospital were severely damaged.[6][20] The radio link failed on 28 December and Futuna was cut off from the rest of the world.[21][22] Relief supplies, including food, medical supplies and other materials, were immediately dispatched from French Polynesia and New Caledonia.[14] Two Transall military transport aircraft attempting to deliver 16 tonnes (16,000 kg) of relief materials to Futuna were diverted to Wallis due to poor visibility.[16][21][22] Plans were made to transport some of the aid on the cargo ship Mona-III when the seas surrounding the islands subsided.[22]
Aid arrived on Futuna on 31 December after a dismantled Puma aircraft was airlifted to Wallis from New Caledonia, reassembled and flown to the island.
Fiji
Raja impacted Fiji between 24 and 30 December, where it was responsible for
The system passed 90–110 km (55–70 mi) northwest of the Udu Point meteorological station on 25 December, with estimated winds of 45–55 km/h (30–35 mph).
Severe damage was reported in areas of Fiji which received hurricane-force winds, including parts of Vanua Levu, the Koro and the Lau group of islands.[3] Other parts of the island nation also incurred damage from a combination of gale- to hurricane-force winds, a storm surge of 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft), heavy rain and wind waves.[6] Severe damage was reported to crops, communication facilities, buildings, roads, seawalls, wharves, jetties and other coastal installations in low-lying areas.[6] Damage to houses were reportedly less severe than in previous tropical cyclones, which was attributed by the Fijian minister for home affairs to better-constructed homes which had replaced those destroyed by previous storms.[38] One person drowned on the island of Lakeba as he and two others tried to move a boat to a safer anchorage.[39] Raja was responsible for the worst flooding of the Labasa River since December 1929, with the gauge at Labasa's civic centre peaking at 3.72 m (12.2 ft).[40] The flooding in Labasa was later attributed to a blocked drainage system and exceptionally high tides.[40]
A
See also
- Typhoon Norris – Raja's twin Northern Hemisphere system
Notes
- Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre for the South Pacific Ocean, between the equator and 25°S and from 160°E to 120°W.[2]
- ^ The Naval Western Oceanography Center issued tropical-cyclone warnings on behalf of the United States Department of Defense between 180° and the West Coast.[5]
- ^ This total, originally reported in French francs, was converted to United States dollars on the Fxtop website.[25]
References
- ^ JSTOR 44279737.
- ^ a b RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (2023). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2023 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Krishna, Ram (22 January 1987). Tropical Cyclone Report 87/1: Tropical Cyclone Raja (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service.
- ^ a b c "1986 Tropical Cyclone RAJA (1986356S07183)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- ^ a b 1987 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (PDF) (Report). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 1993. p. 201. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^ OCLC 648466886.
- ^ ISSN 2107-0830.
- ^ Barstow, Stephen; Haug, Ola (November 1994). The Wave Climate of Fiji (PDF). South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Kishore, Satya (26 March 1987). Tropical Cyclone Report 87/5: Tropical Cyclone Sally (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ Vulnerability profile of Tuvalu March 2012 (PDF) (Report). United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. March 2012. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Wallis and Futuna Cyclone Passes De 1880 à nos jours" [Wallis and Futuna Cyclone Passes From 1880 to the present day] (in French). Meteo France New Caledonia. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Cyclone Amos: les Samoa ravagées" [Cyclone Amos: ravaged Samoa]. Meteo (in French). Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "EM-DAT: The Emergency Events Database". Université catholique de Louvain.
- ^ a b c d Girault, Jean-Marie (1987). Annexe au procès-verbal de la séance du novembre 16 1987 [Annex to the minutes of the meeting of 16 November 1987] (PDF) (Report) (in French). The French Parliament. p. 27.
- ^ "Tropical storm hits Futuna, Fiji". The Burlington Hawk Eye. The Associated Press. 29 December 1986. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Tropical Storm Hits Fiji, Destroys Crops, Buildings". Ocala Star-Banner. The Associated Press. 29 December 1986. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ "One feared dead as cyclone hits". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 December 1986. p. 2. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b Climat à Wallis et Futuna [Climate in Wallis and Futuna] (Report) (in French). Météo-France. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ a b 156 km/h : Record de rafales battu à Wallis [156 km/h: Record of gusts beaten in Wallis] (Report) (in French). Météo-France. 22 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Tropical Storm Batters Tiny Futuna". The Associated Press. 27 December 1986. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Contact lost with island hit by storm". Reading Eagle. Reuters. 29 December 1986. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Futuna coupée du monde". Le Monde (in French). 29 December 1986. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Catastrophes Premiers secours à Futuna après le passage du cyclone" [First disaster relief to Futuna after the passage of the cyclone]. Le Monde (in French). 29 December 1986. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b ""Raja" a Wallis et Futuna" [Raja in Wallis and Futuna]. Le Courrier Australien (in French). No. 1987/1. 19 January 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 13 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Converter in the past". FX Top. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Futuna: une aide de 55 millions de francs". Le Monde (in French). 8 February 1987. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
- ^ Savvopoulou, Lena (7 February 1987). "French overturn ban on aid". The Age. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ^ "Futuna : le cyclone Tomas, pire que Raja" [Futuna: Cyclone Tomas, worse than Raja] (in French). Agora Vox. 20 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Weather events in 1986 and their consequences" (PDF). WMO Bulletin. 36 (4). World Meteorological Organisation: 275. 1987. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Fiji Islands – Cyclone Rajah Situation Report No.3 (Report). United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs. 6 January 1987. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "Fiji on cyclone alert". Courier-Mail. 24 December 1986 – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ "Cyclone hits Fijian crops". The Daily Telegraph. 26 December 1986.
- ^ "Cyclone leaves Fiji with a $500 000 bill". The Age. Australian Associated Press. 26 December 1986. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ "Disaster Case Report: Fiji – Cyclone" (PDF). United States Agency for International Development. 1987. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Fiji forms taskforce to fight cyclone". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 December 1986. p. 5. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Fiji prepares for worst as cyclone heads for coast". Courier Mail. Australian Associated Press. 30 December 1986 – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ "Fijians take to the caves". Courier Mail. Australian Associated Press. 29 December 1986 – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Cynthia; Hall, Mark W; Henderson, Faye; Jackson, Waverly; King, Dennis; Mossburg, Wesley; O'Connor, Joseph; Skowron, Carol; Caulfield Vasconez, Kimberly S; Youmans, Beverly (1988). Financial Year 1987 Annual Report: Fiji Cyclone (PDF) (Report). Office of U.S Foreign Disaster Assistance. p. 32. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ "Fiji: Raja claims first victim". The Canberra Times. 1 January 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ a b McGree, Simon; Yeo, Stephen W; Devi, Swastika (1 October 2010). "Flooding in the Fiji Islands between 1840 and 2009" (PDF). Risk Frontiers. p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ OCLC 1796757.
- ^ "New Zealand helps Fiji to deal with cyclone damage". Xinhua. 31 December 1986 – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ "Ferry sinking after cyclone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 2 January 1987. p. 5. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ a b c Costello D (3 January 1987). "Battered Fiji faces cyclone bill of $19m". Courier Mail – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ "$130,000 storm aid". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 9 January 1987. p. 5. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ "Emergency Aid for Nigeria and Fiji" (Press release: IP-87-29). The European Union. 19 January 1987. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ^ "$100,000 cyclone aid". The Canberra Times. 9 January 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Emergency aid plea for Fiji". Courier Mail. Australian Associated Press. 6 January 1987 – via Lexis Nexis.
- ^ "Cyclone aid". The Advertiser. Australian Associated Press. 4 February 1987 – via Lexis Nexis.
External links
- World Meteorological Organization
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology
- Fiji Meteorological Service
- New Zealand MetService
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center
- A map of Cyclone Raja's track