Tropical Depression 10F (JTWC designation: 22P) was a small tropical depression that became the deadliest

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

of the 2004 season, claiming 11 lives in the

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

islands.

Meteorological history

Tropical Depression 10F was first identified early on April 5 by the

Regional Specialized Meteorological Center A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as ...

Nadi, Fiji Nadi (, ) is the second-largest city in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 59,707 at the most recent census, in 2017. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Asians, Indi ...

as a weak tropical disturbance. The disturbance at this time was located about 700 km (435 mi) to the north of

Port Vila, Vanuatu Port Vila ( ; ), or simply Vila (), is the capital city, capital of Vanuatu and its largest city. It is on the Efate, island of Efate, in Shefa Province. The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 Vanuatu census, 2020 census. In 2020, the popula ...

and was embedded within a

monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...

that extended from the Solomon Islands to the north of Fiji. Major convection around the system was displaced to the north and north east of the low level circulation center. The system was located within a favorable area to develop further with

sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...

s of over 30 °C and light vertical windshear.

Preparations and impact

Thousands of tourists holidaying in Fiji were asked to remain indoors while the tropical depression affected Fiji with domestic flights in and out of Fiji canceled. People were also advised not to go out to sea and were advised to take precautions. Public servants were also told to go home after ensuring that emergency procedures were in place, while schools were closed so that students could get home safely. Tropical Depression 15F brought strong winds heavy rain and flooding to

Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ; ) is the largest island in Fiji. It is the site of the country's capital and largest city, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a plate tectonics, tectonically complex area betwe ...

and the

Yasawa Yasawa, also called Assawa and Ysava, is the northernmost large island of the Yasawa Group, an archipelago in Fiji's Western Division. Located at 17.00° South and 177.23° East, it covers an area of . It has a maximum altitude of above sea l ...

and

Mamanuca The Mamanuca Islands () of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago lying to the west of Nadi and to the south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a popular tourist destination, consists of about 20 islands, but about seven of these are covered by the ...

group of islands. The depression caused a total of F$ (US$) in damage, while at least 11 people were confirmed dead. Damage and destruction caused by the depression was confined to a thin strip where the tropical depression had passed. Many roads and bridges in Ba and Rakiraki were flooded causing landslides and severe damage to infrastructure and public utilities was reported. Family homes were severely damaged or were destroyed by being blown or washed away. Crops were also severely damaged or destroyed. The business community also suffered severely as the kings road between Ra and Tailevu was closed to all traffic for several days as parts of the road were washed away. Communications were also severely affected at the height of the storm. The National Disaster Management Committee of Fiji initially reported on April 11 that seven people had died from the tropical depression with nine people missing. A woman was swept away while trying to cross the flooded Wainimala River in Naitasiri province, while another women was swept off a flooded bridge in

Rakiraki Rakiraki () is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is located between Tavua and Korovou when travelling along Kings Road, on the northern coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. From Nadi International Airport, Rakiraki is approximately 130k ...

. By April 12, the Fijian red cross had distributed more than $80,000 F$ (US$) worth of food parcels, however the food parcels were only expected last for two weeks.

References

External links

World Meteorological OrganizationMeteorological Service of New Zealand (TCWC Wellington)Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 South Pacific Cyclone Season 10F 2004 10F 2004 South Pacific tropical depressions 10F

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

See also

References

External links