FERGUS

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Fergus began as a tropical disturbance identified by the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center on 19 December 1996, roughly 750 km south-east of Bairiki in Kiribati. The system tracked south-west and briefly organised enough to prompt a formation alert on 20 December, though this was cancelled the following day when convection around the low-level circulation weakened. After passing across the southern Solomon Islands, the disturbance redeveloped, and on 23 December the Australian Bureau of Meteorology classified it as a tropical low before upgrading and naming it Fergus later the same day. The JTWC began advisories early on 24 December, designating the system Tropical Cyclone 13P while it lay near Rennell Island.

Caught in weak steering, Fergus completed a cyclonic loop before an approaching upper-level trough drew it towards the south-east. It crossed 160°E into the South Pacific basin on 26 December and shortly afterwards reached Category 3 severe tropical cyclone status on the Australian scale. Steered towards a weakness in the subtropical ridge, Fergus passed between Vanuatu and New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands on 27–28 December. The Fiji Meteorological Service assessed peak intensity at this time, with 10-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h, while the JTWC estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds of 165 km/h on 27 December. The system persisted until 1 January 1997.

In the Solomon Islands, Fergus and its precursor brought damaging winds and torrential rain that triggered serious flooding on Guadalcanal, Rennell and Bellona. Two people died, property damage was significant, and hundreds of food gardens were destroyed, prompting disaster declarations and an appeal for cash and rice; Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand contributed relief. New Caledonia's eastern Loyalty Islands went on high alert, and a marked pressure fall was recorded at Matthew Island. Vanuatu experienced cyclonic winds and heavy rain, with gardens on Aneityum damaged. Approaching New Zealand, MetService warned of gales and prolonged rain across the North Island, campers were evacuated from the East Coast, and the cyclone caused extensive damage after moving ashore, also disrupting the 1997 ASB Classic tennis tournament.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia