Cyclone Esau

Severe Tropical Cyclone Esau
Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale)
Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale)

Cyclone Esau near peak intensity on February 28
Formed February 24, 1992
Dissipated March 9, 1992
(Extratropical after March 5, 1992)
Highest winds 10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph)
1-minute sustained: 240 km/h (150 mph)
Lowest pressure 925 hPa (mbar); 27.32 inHg
Fatalities 1
Damage Minimal
Areas affected Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, New Zealand
Part of the 1991–92 South Pacific and Australian region cyclone seasons

Severe Tropical Cyclone Esau became the strongest tropical cyclone to affect New Caledonia on record during February and March 1992. A shallow tropical depression developed within the monsoon trough during February 24, about 370  km (230 mi) to the northeast of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Over the next day the system gradually developed further as it moved towards the south-west under the influence of a northerly steering flow, before it passed over Pentecost Island in northern Vanuatu during February 25. After passing over Pentecost the system continued to move towards the southwest and passed near the island of Malampa, before the depression turned northwards and executed a small clockwise loop as it passed over the island of Espiritu Santo. The system was subsequently named Esau during February 26, after it had developed into a tropical cyclone. Over the next couple of days the system moved south-westwards towards Australia and away from the islands of Vanuatu. Esau subsequently executed a second clockwise loop during February 28, before it peaked as a Category 4 tropical cyclone on both the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. After it had peaked the system moved south-eastwards and threatened Southern Vanuatu, before turning southwards and threatening the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. Esau made landfall on the French territory during March 4, as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone before degenerating into an extratropical cyclone during March 5. The systems remnants made landfall on New Zealand's North Island during March 8, before they were last noted during the next day over the South Pacific Ocean.

Esau caused minimal damage and one death, as it affected the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand. The system affected the northern Vanuatu Islands between February 25 – 27 and March 2 – 3, with heavy rain and strong winds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) but caused no damage. Esau produced gale force winds on the Solomon Islands of Rennell and Bellona and knocked down several banana, coconut and pawpaw trees. The system also destroyed several houses and severely flooded various taro gardens and food crops. Esau produced hurricane-force winds on New Caledonia, while extensive flooding was reported in the territory. Several roads were blocked as the system blew down trees and damaged buildings, while power and communications were also knocked out over the island. One person drowned as she tried to cross a river near Hienghene, while a young child went missing on the island of Lifou but was later found safe by local residents. The extra-tropical remnants of Esau made landfall on New Zealand's North Island during March 8, where hail and a tornado were reported to have occurred. The name Esau was subsequently retired from the list of tropical cyclone names for the South Pacific basin.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm according to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale

Towards the end of February 1992, a monsoon trough of low pressure was located over the South Pacific Ocean, between northern Australia and the Samoan Islands.[1] A shallow tropical depression subsequently developed within this monsoon trough during February 24, about 370 km (230 mi) to the northeast of Port Vila, Vanuatu.[2] Over the next day the system gradually developed further as it moved towards the south-west under the influence of a northerly steering flow, before it passed over Pentecost Island in northern Vanuatu during February 25.[2][3] After passing over Pentecost the system continued to move towards the southwest and passed near the island of Malampa, before the depression turned northwards and executed a small clockwise loop as it passed over the island of Espiritu Santo.[1] Early on February 26, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center started to issue advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 21P, while it was located to the east of Espiritu Santo.[4][5] Later that day the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) reported that the system had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Esau.[1][2] Throughout that day as Esau intensified further, it moved south-westwards and away from the islands of Vanuatu.[2] Esau subsequently accelerated westwards to the north of an intense subtropical ridge of high pressure and gradually intensified further as it moved into an area of decreasing vertical windshear.[1]

During February 28, the system became a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, while it was located about 550 km (340 mi) to the west of Espiritu Santo.[2] During that day the system intensified further before it started executing a second clockwise loop as the subtropical ridge weakened and placed the system in an area of weak steering.[1] The FMS subsequently reported that the system had peaked as a category 4 severe tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph).[1][4] The system subsequently moved into the Australian region and brought gale force winds to the Solomon Islands during February 29.[1] The JTWC also reported that Esau had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 240 km/h (150 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.[6] Over the next few days the system moved south-eastwards and back into the South Pacific basin, under the influence of a northwest steering flow and threatened the southern islands of Vanuatu.[2] The system subsequently came to within 450 km (280 mi) of southern Vanuatu before turning southwards and threatening the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.[2] The system made landfall near Ponerihouen in the French territory of New Caledonia during March 4, as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone.[2] As a result of passing over the mountainous island nation and increasing vertical wind shear, the system continued to weaken and transitioned into an extra tropical cyclone over the cooler waters of the Tasman Sea.[2][5] The extra tropical remnants of Cyclone Esau subsequently made landfall on New Zealand's North Island in the Taranaki and Hawkes Bay area during March 8, before they were last noted during the next day over the South Pacific Ocean.[7]

Preparations and impact

Severe Tropical Cyclone Esau caused minimal damage as it affected the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand, while the name was retired from the Lists of tropical cyclone names for the region due to the impact of this system.[2][8] Esau first affected the northern Vanuatu Islands between February 25 – 27, with heavy rain and strong winds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph).[2][3][9] The system subsequently affected the southern islands of Vanautu between March 2–3, when it was considered to be as powerful and potentially damaging as Cyclone Uma.[3] However, there was no damage or any gale force winds reported in Vanautu, after the system had become the fourth tropical cyclone to affect the island nation during the 1991–92 season.[2][3][10] The system subsequently became the fourth tropical cyclone to affect the Solomon Islands, during the 1991–92 season between February 27 – March 4.[2][11] At its closest point of approach to the island nation between February 28–29, Esau produced gale force winds on the islands of Bellona and Rennell and knocked down several banana, coconut and pawpaw trees.[2][12] The system also destroyed several houses and severely flooded various taro gardens and food crops.[2][12][13] It was subsequently estimated that relief workers, would need to provide aid for around 5000 people on the two islands.[12][13]

After affecting both Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, Esau became the strongest tropical cyclones to affect New Caledonia on record as it made landfall on the northern region of the island nation with hurricane-force winds between March 4 – 5.[1][14] Ahead of the system making landfall, the maximum alert was introduced for most of the island nation, before it was extended out to cover the whole territory.[15] Within the French territory wind gusts of 158 km/h (98 mph) were recorded in Népoui and Cap N'Dua, while a wind gust of 144 km/h (89 mph) was recorded in Poindimié.[14] Extensive flooding was reported in the territory while rainfall totals of 528 mm (20.8 in), 395 mm (15.6 in) and 354 mm (13.9 in) were recorded in Kopéto, Tiendanite and Tiwaka.[14][16] Several roads were blocked as the system blew down trees and damaged buildings, while power and communications were also knocked out over the island.[16][17] One person drowned as she tried to cross a river near Hienghene, while a young child went missing on the island of Lifou but was later found safe by local residents.[14][16][18] Severe Tropical Cyclone Fran subsequently affected the northern part of the French territory between March 10–11.[14] On March 8, the extratropical remnants of Esau made landfall on New Zealand's North Island in the Taranaki and Hawkes Bay area.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gill, Jonathan P. "The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season 1991–1992" (PDF). Australian Meteorological Magazine. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 43: 189. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tropical Cyclone Esau, February 24 - March 7 (Tropical Cyclone Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Tropical cyclones in Vanuatu: 1847 to 1994 (PDF) (Report). Vanuatu Meteorological Service. May 19, 1994. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  4. 1 2 MetService (May 22, 2009). "TCWC Wellington Best Track Data 1967–2006". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.
  5. 1 2 6. Tropical Cyclone Warning Verification Statistics: Southern Hemisphere (PDF) (1992 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 1993. p. 244. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  6. ↑ Joint Typhoon Warning Center; Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center. Tropical Cyclone 21P (Esau) best track analysis (Report). United States Navy, United States Air Force. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Lorrey, Andrew M; Griffiths, Georgina; Fauchereau, Nicolas; Diamond, Howard J; Chappella, Petra R; Renwick, James. "An ex-tropical cyclone climatology for Auckland, New Zealand". International Journal of Climatology. Royal Meteorological Society. Bibcode:2014IJCli..34.1157L. doi:10.1002/joc.3753.
  8. ↑ RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (December 12, 2012). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2012 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Earthweek: A diary of the planet: For the week ending February 28, 1992". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. March 1, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  10. ↑ Country Report: Pacific Islands—Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga. The Unit. 1992. p. 52.
  11. ↑ "Tropical Cyclones/Depressions that passed through Solomon Islands Region" (PDF). Solomon Islands Meteorological Service. September 13, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "Cyclone Esau hits Solomons". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. March 3, 1992. p. 5. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Cyclone Esau hits Solomon Islands". Xinhua General News Service. March 3, 1992.  – via Lexis Nexis (subscription required)
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 New Caledonia Meteorological Office. "Phénomènes ayant le plus durement touché la Nouvelle-Calédonie: De 1880 à nos jours: Esau" [Phenomena having the hardest hit New Caledonia: From 1880 to the present: Esau]. Météo-France. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Le cyclone Esaü arrive sur la Nouvelle-Calédonie". Le Monde (in French). Agence France-Presse. March 5, 1992. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Cyclone Causes Two Deaths in New Caledonia (Pacific Magazine). 17. Pacific Magazine Corporation. 1992. p. 129.
  17. ↑ "Earthweek: A diary of the planet: For the week ending March 6, 1992". The Sunday Gazette. March 8, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Nouvelle-Calédonie: un enfant retrouvé sain et sauf". Le Monde (in French). Agence France-Presse. March 7, 1992. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
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