2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
Tropical cyclone season / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season was one of the most disastrous South Pacific tropical cyclone seasons on record, with a total of 50 deaths and $1.405 billion (2016 USD) in damage. Throughout the season, 8 systems attained tropical cyclone status, whilst 5 became severe tropical cyclones. The most notable cyclone of the season by far was Winston, which attained a minimum pressure of 884 hPa (mbar; 26.10 inHg), and maximum ten-minute sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h), making it the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere. Winston went on to devastate Fiji, causing $1.4 billion (2016 USD) in damage and 44 deaths across the country.
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2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season | |
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Seasonal boundaries | |
First system formed | July 29, 2015 |
Last system dissipated | April 27, 2016 |
Strongest storm | |
Name | Winston (Most intense tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere) |
• Maximum winds | 280 km/h (175 mph) (10-minute sustained) |
• Lowest pressure | 884 hPa (mbar) |
Seasonal statistics | |
Total disturbances | 18[nb 1] |
Total depressions | 11[nb 1] |
Tropical cyclones | 8[nb 1] |
Severe tropical cyclones | 5 |
Total fatalities | 50 total |
Total damage | $1.4 billion (2015 USD) (Second-costliest South Pacific cyclone season recorded) |
Related articles | |
South Pacific tropical cyclone seasons 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 |
The 2015–16 season marked the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form within the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially ran from November 1, 2015, to April 30, 2016, however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones are officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service and the Meteorological Service of New Zealand (MetService). Other warning centres like the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) will also monitor the basin. The FMS and MetService both use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate wind speeds over a period of ten minutes, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).