Cyclones in the South Pacific and Southern Indian Ocean
PDC’s Global Hazards Atlas showing the PDC Integrated Active Hazards, plus layers displaying Tropical Cyclone Positions, TC Segments, and Cones of Uncertainty (3- and 5-day). Left to right, the cyclones are Olwyn, Nathan, and Pam.
As of 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, (Hawaii Time; Friday, 4 a.m., local time), Tropical Cyclone Bavi had moved away from Australia, weakened significantly, and turned toward Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where it was expected, according to Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), “to have a low humanitarian impact based on the storm strength and the affected population in the past and forecast path.”
Although Bavi had been “expired” as a hazard both by the Australia Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and within the PDC Global Hazards Atlas, two additional tropical cyclones were still on the BOM Tropical Cyclones Warning page (BOM TC). “Severe TC Olwyn” was captured in infrared imagery making landfall at the northern extreme of the west shore of Australia, as published by the U.S. Navy Fleet Numerical Meteorology Center (FNMOC). Olwyn is on the Indian Ocean side of Australia. On the Pacific Ocean side, Tropical Cyclone Nathan was spinning offshore north of Cape Melville creating gales extending from 100 to 170 kilometers from the center of the storm, destructive winds from Cape Melville to Cape Flattery, abnormally high seas, and areas of heavy rain that BOM forecast as “gradually easing towards the end of today as the cyclone moves away from the coast.”
At that time, the Meteorological Service of New Zealand was focusing on Tropical Cyclones Nathan and Pam. “Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam, currently a Category 5 cyclone moves southwards across Vanuatu while TC Nathan, Category 2, lingers off the coast of Queensland and is forecast to return to the east [toward New Zealand] across the Coral Sea.” Pam, according to the Vanuatu Meteorological Services (Meteo), was slowly moving in a southwards direction,” giving a forecast of “torrential rain and thunderstorm over Northern and central islands, elsewhere rain and showers. Gale clockwise winds.” The slow movement of the cyclone, had the New Zealand forecasters expecting Pam to “pass just to the east of East Cape during the [day] Monday. However, there is still a large degree of uncertainty in the exact path of the cyclone and, although the centre may not pass over New Zealand, severe weather is likely to affect parts of the country….”
PDC encourages everyone to be prepared for possible emergencies and to remember that, with adequate preparation, most emergencies do not have to become disasters for your family. The time to assemble or recheck and update your emergency supply kit and family emergency plan is now, not when a severe weather or a geological event (earthquake or tsunami) is already impacting your home. You can find information about making a Family Disaster Plan and your custom Disaster Supply Kit on our website (PDC).
Current Hazard Warnings
Tropical Cyclone:Australia, Vanuatu
Drought: Africa (Namibia, Mozambique), United States (south, west), Bolivia, Scotland
Floods/Landslides: Argentina, Australia (Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales)
Biomedical: West Africa (Ebola)
Severe Weather: Canada (Newfoundland, Labrador)
Volcano: Chile, Brazil, United States (Hawaii)
For real-time information on current disasters download PDC’s free Disaster Alert mobile app available for your iOS or Android devices today! Also be sure to monitor PDC on Twitter, Facebook, and by accessing the Global Hazards Atlas.