Tropical Storm Nineteen
Posting Date: 12 March 2010
Location: Southwest Pacific Ocean
Peril: Windstorm
As of 00:00 UTC Friday, 12 March, the centre of tropical storm Nineteen ( as yet un-named) was located near to 10.6S 177.2W in the southwest Pacific Ocean, approximately 560 miles (900 km) north west of Pago Pago and around 700 miles (1,100 km) north northeast of the Fiji capital Suva. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), at this time the system had maximum sustained winds of approximately 40 mph (65 km / hr), classifying the system as a tropical storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Over the past 6 hours Tropical Storm Nineteen has tracked towards the west with a forward speed of 8 mph (13km/h). Forecasts suggest that the system will track towards the southwest over the next few days, bringing the storm directly over the Fijian Island of Vanua Levu on Monday, 15 March. Favorable environment conditions consisting of sea surface temperatures around 30 C and low vertical wind shear are likely to cause the system to steadily intensify over the next couple of days. The JTWC is forecasting that Tropical Storm Nineteen will reach the equivalent of a category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale by Monday morning, around the time it is due to hit Vanua Levu. Under its current track the main Fijian island of Viti Levu will be affected by tropical storm winds. Should the track deviate westward from what is currently forecast then this island is at risk of a more direct impact, as are the resort islands of the Mamanuca group to the east of Viti Levu.
Fiji’s Meteorological Service is monitoring the tropical system which is moving towards the island group. The JTWC has issued a tropical cyclone warning, for nineteen. RMS will continue to monitor this storm and will update this Cat Activity on Monday, 15 March.
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