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User:Jason Rees/William

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Tropical Cyclone William
Category 2 tropical cyclone (Aus scale)
Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone William near its peak intensity
FormedDecember 30, 1994
DissipatedJanuary 5, 1995
(Extratropical after January 3, 1995)
Highest winds10-minute sustained: 110 km/h (70 mph)
1-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph)
Lowest pressure975 hPa (mbar); 28.79 inHg
Areas affectedCook Islands, French Polynesia
Part of the 1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season

Meteorological history

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Towards the end of December 1994, several areas of low pressure, developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone between the antimeridian and 160°W.[1] During December 30, one of these areas of low pressure that had been moving northwards, developed into a tropical depression while located just to the east of Pukapuka atoll in the Northern Cook Islands.[1][2] During December 31, the United States Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 05P and intiated advisories, while it was located near Suwarrow in the Northern Cook Islands.[3][4] The system subsequently continued to move south-eastwards and gradually develop further


[5]


[6]

At 21:00 UTC on January 1 (13:00 TAHT, January 1, 09:00 FST, January 2), the FMS reported that the system had become a tropical cyclone and named it William, after they had assessed that gale-force winds had wrapped around the whole of the system.[6] At this stage, the newly-named system was located about 145 km (90 mi) to the northeast of Aitutaki in the Southern Cook Islands and was moving south-eastwards towards the island.[7] At around 03:00 UTC (17:00 UTC-10, January 1) as William moved closer to the atoll sustained winds of 78 km/h (48 mph) were recorded, before a minimum pressure of 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) was recorded at around 06:00 UTC (20:00 TAHT, January 1) as the system passed near or over the island.[1][8] At this time, the NPMOC reported that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 120 km/h (75 mph), which would make it a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.[5] During that day, the system subsequently passed near or over several other Southern Cook Islands including Aitu, Mauke and Mitaro, before the FMS estimated that the system had peaked as a category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph).[5][6] During January 3, the system passed near or over the French Polynesian islands of Maria and Rimatara, where sustained winds of 115 km/h (71 mph) and wind gusts of up to 154 km/h (96 mph) were recorded.[1] Later that day, the system left the tropics and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, as it entered New Zealand Met Service's area of responsibility for tropical cyclone warnings.[5][6] William's extratropical remnants subsequently continued to move south-eastwards within the westerlies and were tracked by MetService for another couple of days, before they were last noted near 40.0S 119.5E during January 5, as they moved out of the South Pacific basin.[2][5]

Effects

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Cook Islands

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Gale force winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) and a minimum pressure of 993.8 hPa (29.35 inHg) were reported on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands during January 1.[4]


Throughout the Southern Cook Islands caused around US$2.5 million worth of damage to crops, buildings and coconut trees and destroyed a causeway to a tourist resort on Aitutaki.[7]

French Polynesia

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William injured two people and destroyed over 150 houses in French Polynesia, where local leaders accused Météo-France off underestimating Williams intensity.[9]


In the Austral Islands, it was estimated that William had caused more than FF200 million or around US$32 million in damages.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Saison des perturbations tropicales Pacifique sud-est 1994–1995" [Southeast Pacific tropical disturbance season 1994–1995]. Météorologie Maritime (in French). No. 172. October 18, 1996. pp. 39–43. ISSN 2107-0830. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 18, 2022 suggested (help)
  2. ^ a b c Laurent, Victoire; Varney, Patrick. Historique des Cyclones de Polynesie Francaise [History of Cyclones in French Polynesia] (in French). Meteo France. pp. 137–139. ISBN 978-2-9522946-1-4.
  3. ^ "1995 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 1997. pp. 211–216. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b Beven, John L (January 6, 1995). "Weekly tropical cyclone summary #178 (December 25, 1994 - January 1, 1995)". Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "1994 Tropical Cyclone William (1994364S11195)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment; National Climatic Data Center (May 21, 1996). Tropical Cyclone William, December 30, 1994 - January 3, 1994 (Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas). Indiana University. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Shepherd Ian J; Bates, Peter W (June 2, 1997). "The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season 1994-95" (PDF). Australian Meteorological Magazine (46): 143–151. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Beven, John L (January 12, 1995). "Weekly tropical cyclone summary #179 (January 1 - 8, 1995)". Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; June 10, 2022 suggested (help)
  9. ^ Newmann, Steve (January 10, 1995). "Earthweek: Diary of the planet for the week ending January 6, 1995". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
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