Cyclone Cliff

This article is about the 2007 South Pacific storm. For other uses, see Cyclone Cliff (disambiguation).
Tropical Cyclone Cliff
Tropical Cyclone Cliff at peak
Meteorological history
Formed1 April 2007 (1 April 2007)
Dissipated6 April 2007 (6 April 2007)
Category 2 tropical cyclone
10-minute sustained (FMS)
Highest winds100 km/h (65 mph)
Lowest pressure980 hPa (mbar); 28.94 inHg
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds100 km/h (65 mph)
Lowest pressure982 hPa (mbar); 29.00 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities1 direct, 3 indirect
Damage$4 million (2007 USD)
Areas affectedFiji and Tonga
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata
Part of the 2006–07 South Pacific cyclone season

Tropical Cyclone Cliff was first noted as a weak tropical disturbance on April 1, 2007, within a trough of low pressure about 210 km (130 mi) to the southwest of Rotuma. Over the next couple of days the system drifted towards the southeast and Fiji, in an area of strong wind shear. During April 3, the system slightly accelerated, as it moved towards the south-southeast before the westerly wind shear around the system relaxed sufficiently to allow the depression to consolidate while it was located near Vanua Levu.

Early on April 4, the depression moved around the northeastern tip of Vanua Levu as bands of atmospheric convection rapidly developed and wrapped into the low level circulation center.[1] At 0300 UTC while the system was located about 95 km (60 mi) to the south-southeast of Labasa, RSMC Nadi named the depression, Cliff after the system had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale.[1] This was despite gale force winds not being present near the systems center, as required by the tropical cyclone operational plan for the region.[1][2] After Cliff had been named gale-force winds rapidly developed near the center, as it continued to intensify and accelerate towards the south-southeast through the Lau group of islands.[1] At around 0900 UTC on April 4, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 23P as it became a tropical storm.[3] Over the next 24 hours Cliff continued to intensify, before the JTWC and RSMC Nadi reported during the next day, that Cliff had reached its peak intensity with sustained wind-speeds of 100 km/h (65 mph).[1][4] After peaking in intensity, the system subsequently accelerated further towards the southeast and into an area of cooler seas and higher wind shear.[5][1] This subsequently caused Cliff to become an extratropical cyclone during February 6, before the system was last noted later that day as it merged with a mid-latitude frontal boundary.[5][1]

Cyclone Cliff was responsible for one death. In the wake of the storm, an outbreak of typhoid and leptospirosis infected 99 people and killed three across Fiji.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference 06-07 ATCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference TCOP-SHEM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference JTWC 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center. "Tropical Cyclone 23P (Cliff) best track analysis". United States Navy, United States Air Force. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Three dead in Fiji disease outbreak". New Zealand Herald. April 19, 2007.