Cyclone Fran

Cyclone Fran

Category 4 cyclone (Australian scale) Category 5 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Cyclone Fran
Formed	March 4, 1992
Dissipated	March 17, 1992
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure	920 mbar (hPa); 27.17 inHg
Fatalities	5 direct
Damage	$9.4 million (1992 USD)
Areas affected	Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Eastern Australia
Part of the 1991-92 South Pacific and the Australian region cyclone seasons

Cyclone Fran was the third tropical cyclone within four weeks to impact Vanuatu. Fran formed on March 4 and then gradually intensified. Winds reached gale-force on March 5, and hurricane-force a few days later. Cyclone Fran reached the powerful Category 5 equivalent on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale near Vanuatu. The storm weakened somewhat due to land interaction, but briefly re-intensified after moving away from land. Fran gradually weakened over the next several days over less favorable conditions. Meanwhile, the storm passed north of New Caledonia. Eventually, as a Category 2 system on the Australian scale, Fran made landfall on Queensland during March 16. Severe Tropical Cyclone Fran turned towards the southeast and eventually headed back out to sea. The system dissipated the next day. On Efate, over 130 houses lost roofs. Along Queensland, two rivers sustained major flooding, but no deaths were attributed to this cyclone. Total damage from the system was 8-10 million (1992 AUD). Moderate damage was also reported in Fiji. In New Caledonia, the storm brought flooding and landslides.

Meteorological history

On March 4, 1992 the Fiji Meteorological Service's Nadi tropical cyclone warning centre (TCWC Nadi) and the Naval Western Oceanography Center (NWOC), started to monitor a shallow tropical depression that had developed within the monsoon trough about 330 km (205 mi) to the north of Wallis Island.^[1][2] Over the next two days the depression slowly developed further as it moved towards the south-southwest, before the system was named Fran early on March 6 by TCWC Nadi as the system had started to rapidly intensify and had become a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and started to rapidly intensify.^[2][3] The NWOC also designated Fran as Tropical Cyclone 25P and started to issue advisories on it during that day as it passed about 75 km (45 mi) to the north of Futuna Island.^[2][4] During that day as the system continued to move towards the south-southwest it crossed the International Dateline, which prompted the NWOC to pass the responsibility for warning the United States Government to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.^[5][6]

Early on March 7 as Fran passed about 400 km (250 mi) to the north of Suva, Fiji, TCWC Nadi reported that Fran had intensified into a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, while the JTWC reported that the system had become equivalent to a category one hurricane.^[2][7] Over the next 48 hours, the system steadily deepened and intensified further while moving towards Vanuatu, before the JTWC reported at 1800 UTC on December 8 that Fran had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 260 km/h (160 mph) which made it equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the SSHS.^[2][6][5] At around the same time TCWC Nadi estimated that Fran had peaked with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 100 knots, which made it a category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.^[1][3] Over the next 18 hours the system moved in-between the Vanuatuan Islands of Shefa and Erromango and passed about 50 mi (80 km) to the south of Port Vila, as it started to gradually weaken.^[2][5]

After weakening slightly because of land interaction, the cyclone slowly re-intensified as it pulled away from the island. Cyclone Fran passed north of New Caledonia early March 10, with 1-min sustained winds of 200 km/h (125 mph). Subsequently, Fran moved towards the west and attained its secondary 10-minute sustained peak of 145 km/h (90 mph) and 1-minute sustained peak of 175 km/h (110 mph) on March 12. The cyclone had slowed by this stage and it subsequently assumed a somewhat erratic southwest track towards the coast. Over the subsequent next three days, Fran weakened as it became less organized. The cyclone finally crossed the Queensland coast (becoming the second cyclone of the season to do so) near the town of 1770 on 1700 UTC March 15. About an hour after landfall, the NWOC reported that the storm had 1-minute sustained winds of 45 mph (72 km/h). Fran subsequently moved inland and weakened to a tropical depression before re-curving to the southeast and moving back over water. The remnants of Fran tracked over Norfolk Island before ultimately merging with a trough north of New Zealand.

Preparations and impact

Wallis and Futuna

The French territory of Wallis and Futuna was affected by the developing cyclone between March 5 and 8, and were the first island nation to be affected by the developing cyclone.^[8] Considerable rainfall was recorded on the islands, with Wallis Island reporting over 540 mm (20 in) during a 12 hour period, while damage was mostly confined to trees, telephone with several power lines blown down, boats sunk and loss of some roofs.^[3]

Fiji

Within Fiji, Fran passed about 400 km (250 mi) to the north of Suva, Fiji and caused a moderate amount of damage throughout the Fijian archipelago but the damage total was not assessed.^[9]

Vanautu

Cyclone Fran was the fifth out of 6 cyclones, and the third within four weeks, to affect Vanuatu during the 1991–92 Cyclone season.^[5]

In Vanuatu, Eromango Island experienced considerable damage to crops with some houses destroyed.^[3] On Efate 130 or more houses were unroofed with consequential water damage.^[3] A storm surge also occurred over the wharf at Eromango.^[3]

New Caledonia

Queensland

Floods affected Southern Queensland and some 17 houses were unroofed near Bundaberg.^[3]

Heron Island

On Heron Island, a small island off the Australian coast, winds of 45 mph (72 km/h) were reported, 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain fell in a day, and a storm surge of 0.8 ft (0.24 m) was estimated. Considerable damage to the trees were reported and many birds were killed, but no damage from buildings were reported. One Casuarina was lost during the cyclone. Significant erosion and loss of materials were reported. The cyclone continued the process of removing fine material from the top of the island. Despite significant beach erosion, there were no significant accumulation of fines on the reef and thus there were no harmful impacts to the flora and fauna on the coral reef.^[10]

Norfolk Island

Prior to striking Vanuatu, evacuation centers were opened and communication equipment was secured before Severe Tropical Cyclone Fran hit. All schools were closed and the natural disaster management office broadcast hourly preparedness messages to the public. Because of the preparations, it was estimated that Fran was not as bad as it could have been.^[11] In Australia, officials closed beaches along the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. In addition, train services from Brisbane were cancelled.^[12]

In New Caledonia, flooding and mudslides occurred. Winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) were measured on Poum. The highest rainfall total was 237 mm (9.3 in) on Tango Dzumac. A total of 150 boxes were damaged or destroyed.^[13]

Across Queensland, coastal towns were flooded, uprooting trees and knocking out power.^[14] Several roofs were torn off of homes^[15] and some flooding was reported.^[16] Winds and flooding caused minor property damage, but considerable crop losses along were reported the coast, with the worst effects in Bundaberg.^[17] A total of 40 houses were uproofed throughout Bundaberg. In Burnett Heads, 3 yachts were damaged. Heavy swells caused damage on Heron Island and severe erosion on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Overall, 2,624 insurance claims were made because of property damage. Total damage from the system was 8-10 million (1992 AUD),^[18] while insurance losses were estimated at $2.5 million (1992 AUD).^[17] The name Fran was later retired from the list of tropical cyclone names.^[19]

References

External links

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

v t e Tropical cyclones of the 1991–92 South Pacific cyclone season 3 Tia 4 Val 4 Wasa-Arthur 4 Betsy 1 13P 2 Cliff 3 Daman 4 Esau 4 Fran 2 Gene 1 Hettie TD Unnamed 2 Innis Book · Category · Portal · WikiProject · Commons

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