Recent heightened tropical cyclone activity east of 180° in the South Pacific
Résumé
Owing to their small land masses and widely dispersed nature within a vast expanse of ocean, whether or not individual South Pacific islands sustain significant damage by the passage of tropical cyclones would seem to be governed largely by chance. Indeed, many cyclones do not make landfall as they pass between scattered island groups on their poleward migration from lower latitudes where they develop. Yet, through February and March this year several archipelagic nations in the central South Pacific have been less fortunate and have been severely affected by a succession of intense tropical cyclones.