Cyclone Anne

Severe Tropical Cyclone Anne

Category 4 cyclone (Australian scale) Category 5 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Cyclone Anne on January 11 near its peak intensity
Formed	January 5, 1988 (1988-01-05T0z)
Dissipated	January 14, 1988 (1988-01-14T0z)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure	925 mbar (hPa); 27.32 inHg
Fatalities	2
Areas affected	Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia
Part of the 1987-88 South Pacific cyclone season

Severe Tropical Cyclone Anne was one of the most intense tropical cyclones within the South Pacific basin during the 1980s. The cyclone was first noted on January 5, 1988 as a weak tropical depression to the northeast of Tuvalu, in conjunction with what was to become Typhoon Roy within the North-Western Pacific basin. Over the next few days the system gradually developed further as it was steered towards the southwest by an area of high pressure, before it was named Anne on January 8, after it had become a tropical cyclone. Continuing its southwest movement, the system rapidly intensified further over the next couple of days, before it became the fourth major tropical cyclone to affect Vanuatu within four years on January 10. Early the next day, Anne peaked in intensity while it was equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, and a category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. During January 12 after the cyclone had turned and started to move towards the south, Cyclone Anne became the most powerful tropical cyclone to affect New Caledonia in 12 years as it made landfall on the French Overseas Territory. After the cyclone had moved back into the Coral Sea, the system continued to weaken as it started to interact with Tropical Cyclone Agi, before Anne weakened into a depression and was last noted on January 14 to the south-east of New Caledonia.

The system was responsible for severe and/or extensive damage within Temotu Province, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, while it caused minor damage to houses and cash crops when it moved through the central islands of Tuvalu. Within Temotu Province, there was no official quantitative damage assessment due to the lack of boats or aircraft and the remoteness of the islands. Despite this Anuta, Utupua, the Duff Islands and the Reef Islands all reported that property and crops had been extensively damaged. Within Vanautu torrential rain, flooding and storm surge caused damage to houses, crops, and property with severe damage recorded on the islands of Ureparapara and the Torres Islands, while extensive damage was recorded on the islands of Vanua Lava and Gaua. Extensive damage was also reported on New Caledonia after it was exposed to a prolonged period of storm force winds, with the eastern and southern coasts particularly affected. The system produced the highest daily rainfall totals since 1951 in several areas on January 12. Two people were killed after they attempted to cross a flooded river during January 13, while about 80 others were injured by the cyclone. Due to the impact of this storm, the name Anne was retired after this usage of the name.

Meteorological history

On January 5, 1988, the Fiji Meteorological Service's Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC Nadi) started to monitor a shallow tropical depression that had developed within the monsoon trough about 540 km (335 mi) to the northeast of Funafuti, Tuvalu.^[1][2][3] At around the same time, a twin depression developed within the Northern Hemisphere monsoon trough, which eventually developed into Typhoon Roy.^[4] Over the next two days the Southern Hemisphere system developed further as it was steered towards the south-southwest along an area of high pressure, before it became equivalent to a tropical storm while passing through the Tuvaluan Islands.^[1][5][6] As a result the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 07P and started to issue advisories on it.^[6][7] Organizing further, TCWC Nadi named the system Anne, after it had become equivalent to a modern day category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale.^[1][2][3] During January 9, the cyclone started to rapidly intensify while continuing to move towards the south-southwest, before the JTWC reported later that day that the system had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS).^[1][6] Later that day, Anne became equivalent to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian Scale, before early the next day it passed through Temotu Province and about 55 km (35 mi) to the northwest of Anuta Island.^[1][3]

Later on January 10, after it had become equivalent to a category 4 tropical cyclone on the SSHS, Anne directly passed over Vanautu's Torres Islands and came within 65 km (40 mi) of Ureparapara in the Banks Islands.^[1] The cyclone continued to move towards the south-southwest and affected the northern islands of Vanautu.^[1] Early on January 11, TCWC Nadi reported that Anne had peaked, with estimated 10-minute peak sustained winds near its center of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.^[1][3] At around the same time the JTWC reported that Anne had peaked with estimated 1-minute peak sustained winds near its center of 260 km/h (160 mph), which made it equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane on the SSHS.^[7][6] This made it one of the most intense tropical cyclones of the 1980s.^[1] Later that day at 06:00 UTC, TCWC Port Moresby reported that Tropical Cyclone Agi had developed near the Louisiade Archipelago, about 1,200 km (745 mi) to the northwest of Cyclone Anne, which subsequently turned south towards New Caledonia.^[3][8] Over the next day, Cyclone Anne rapidly weakened as it encountered upper-level vertical wind shear and approached the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.^[1] Late on January 12, Anne weakened into a modern day category 2 tropical cyclone, before it made landfall on New Caledonia about 110 km (70 mi) to the north-northwest of Noumea.^[1] After the cyclone had re-emerged into the Coral Sea, the JTWC reported that Anne had weakened further and had become equivalent to a tropical storm.^[6] Later on January 13, Cyclone Anne started to interact with Cyclone Agi which had rapidly moved south-eastward towards the "relatively deeper" Anne.^[1][3][8] Early on January 14, TCWC Nadi and the JTWC reported that Anne had weakened into a depression, before it was last noted later that day as it got caught up in the upper westerly flow and dissipated to the southeast of New Caledonia.^[2][7][3]

Preparations and impact

Cyclone Anne caused damage to four island nations and was responsible for two deaths within New Caledonia while it was active. During its early stages of development, the system passed through the central islands of Tuvalu, and caused minor damage to houses and crops such as bananas and coconuts.^[1] The storm passed to the north of Funafuti where strong gale force winds of 70 km/h (45 mph) were recorded.^[9] Due to the impact of this storm, the name Anne was retired.^[10]

Anne affected the Solomon Island province of Temotu between January 9–10, with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of up to 150 km/h (95 mph).^[1] However, the cyclone's center did not pass directly over any island, with the smaller islands, which escaped the destructive hurricane force winds.^[1] As Anne moved through the province at about 30 km/h (20 mph), any gale and storm force winds that affected the islands were not prolonged.^[11] Anuta, Utupua, the Duff Islands and the Reef Islands all reported extensive damage to property and crops with at least 25 houses and 5 classrooms damaged.^[11][12] There was no official quantitative assessment and prompt relief measures were not carried out due to the lack of boats or aircraft and the remoteness of the islands.^[11] However, eleven men from the United States Armed Forces USS Barbour County (LST-1195), received Humanitarian Service Medal's from the United States Department of Defense after providing relief to Anne's victims on Tikopia and Anuta between January 16–19.^[13][14][15]

Vanautu

Cyclone Anne passed through the Northern Vanuatuan Islands between January 10–11 and was the fourth major tropical cyclone to affect Vanuatu since 1985, after Severe Tropical Cyclone's Eric, Nigel and Uma.^[16] Ahead of Anne affecting Vanuatu, various alerts and warnings were issued including a hurricane warning.^[12] During January 10, the cyclone directly passed over the Torres Islands and came within 65 km (40 mi) of the Banks Islands, before it missed Vanuatu's most populated districts around Port Vila and the rest of Espiritu Santo as it continued to move towards the south-west.^[1][17] Within Vanuatu, over 1600 people were made homeless while wind gusts of up to 225 km/h (140 mph) were recorded.^[16][18][19] Torrential rain, flooding and storm surge caused damage to houses, crops, and property while triggering a landslide on the island of Epi.^[16][18][19] The hardest hit area was Torba Province with severe damage recorded on the islands of Ureparapara and the Torres Islands, while extensive damage was recorded on the islands of Vanua Lava and Gaua.^[16][12][20] Within the province, virtually the whole population lost their houses, as well as their cash crops.^[20][21] There were reports of 4–5 m (13–16 ft) tidal waves, washing away houses on the west coast of Ureparapara, while significant wave heights of over 11 m (36 ft) were recorded.^[1][22] Within the province of Sanma, severe damage was recorded on Espiritu Santo after Anne flooded huts, unroofed school buildings, uprooted coconut trees and destroyed the main wharf.^[21][23]

Within the aftermath of the cyclone, people lived in caves while the Vanuatu Government asked the Australian, New Zealand and American Governments for emergency food aid and other emergency humanitarian relief assistance.^[20][12][21] As a result the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) dispatched two Hercules transport planes to help in clean-up operations on the island.^[24] The first one carried a helicopter which helped transport Vanuatu military forces, medical teams and aid to the affected northern islands including remote villages inaccessible to larger aircraft.^[24][17][25] The other plane was used to transport more than 16,000 kilograms (35,000 lb) of fuel and relief supplies including food, shelter and other emergency supplies.^[24][26] The Royal New Zealand Air Force also provided a plane, which transported relief supplies from Espiritu Santo to the northern islands, three times a day on average with the bulk of supplies coming from Australia.^[17] The European Commission provided Vanuatu with emergency aid worth € 100 000, which was used to purchase local food, including rice, preserved meat and fish, to be distributed to Anne's victims.^[27] The total cost of the relief and reconstruction efforts, was estimated at between US$1.2–2 million.^[16][21]

New Caledonia

In conjunction with Tropical Cyclone Agi, Anne affected the whole of New Caledonia between January 11–15, and was the most powerful tropical cyclone to affect the French overseas territory in 12 years.^[28] Extensive damage was done to New Caledonia after it was exposed to a prolonged period of storm force winds, with the eastern and southern coasts particularly affected.^[1][12] The system produced the highest daily rainfall totals since 1951 in several areas on January 12, with Noumea recording 262 mm (10.3 in).^[29] Other rainfall amounts recorded included 713 mm (28.1 in) in Goro and 519 mm (20.4 in) in Thio.^[30] Two people were killed after they attempted to cross a flooded river during January 13, while about 80 others were injured by the cyclone.^[28] According to the police and rescue services, the most serious damage was caused by flooding which swept away crops, huts and topsoil belonging to indigenous Melanesians that lived in coastal villages.^[31][32] Most of the roads within the territory were left unusable while all international flights to the territory were cancelled.^[33] About half of the houses within Poindimié were damaged or destroyed, while within Noumea no serious damage was reported despite winds of up to 150 km/h (95 mph).^[33] The last wooden Royal Navy boat was scheduled to be sunk on January 12, but was moved to January 19 due to the cyclones.^[34][35] Despite crop damage between 90 and 100%, no areas were declared disasters while the South Pacific division of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, sent AU$ 5000 to New Caledonia for relief efforts.^[12][36] The European Commission also provided New Caledonia with emergency aid of € 85 000, which was distributed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in the form of cash donations to the worst hit families.^[37]

See also

• Cyclone Agi
• Typhoon Roy

References

External links

• World Meteorological Organization
• Fiji Meteorological Service
• Meteorological Service of New Zealand
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center

• Track Map of Cyclone Anne near Vanuatu, from the Vanuatu Meteorological Service.

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