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Severe Tropical Cyclone Oscar was one of the worst tropical cyclones to affect Fiji. The system was first noted as a shallow depression on 23 February,while it was located to the north of Fiji's capital Suva. The system subsequently developed further as it moved westwards and was named Oscar the next day. Oscar subsequently intensified as it moved westwards and gradually developed further on 27February. The system subsequently turned and started to move south-eastwards towards Fiji.
On 23 February, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor a shallow depression that had developed about 165km (105mi) to the south of Rotuma.[1][2] Over the next day, the system gradually developed gale-force winds near its centre as it moved westwards, before the FMS classified it as a tropical cyclone and named it Oscar, at about 16:00UTC on 24 February (04:00FST, 25 February).[1] Over the next couple of days, the system gradually intensified further as it continued to move north-westwards away from Fiji, before the FMS lost confidence in where Oscar was and where it was going.[1][2] On 27 February, Oscar continued to intensify as it turned and started to move southeastwards towards Fiji, as it became equivalent to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the modern-day Australian scale, with 10-minute sustained winds of 130km/h (80mph).[1][2] At this stage though, the FMS were not certain if Oscar's south-eastwards movement would continue, while the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center thought that the cyclone would later turn westwards.[1]
At around 03:30UTC (15:30FST) on 28 February, after the system had continued to intensify and move south-eastwards, it came into the range of Nadi International Airport's radar, which showed that Oscar had concentric eyes.[1] Later that day, as Oscar passed about 240km (150mi) to the east of Nadi on the island of Viti Levu, the FMS and the JTWC both estimated that the system had peaked in intensity with sustained wind speeds of 185km/h (115mph).[1][2] This made the system both a Category4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale and a Category3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.[2] During 1 March, Oscar caused hurricane-force winds to be experienced in parts of Viti Levu, as it started to accelerate and ultimately it passed about 30km (15mi) to the south of Sigatoka.[1][2] As the system approached the island of Mbengga later that day, Oscar suddenly changed its course and started to move south-southeastwards, which had the effect of sparing Fiji's capital city: Suva from the worst of its effects.[1][2] At around 22:00UTC (10:00FST, 2March), Oscar passed near or over the island of Kandavu, where sustained winds dropped from a peak of 150km/h (90mph) to 20km/h (10mph). After the system cleared Kandavu, it appeared to rapidly weaken, before its remnants were last noted by the New Zealand Meteorological Service on 6 March, while it was located about 800km (495mi) to the south of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.[1][2]
Intensity estimates
Data submitted to the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship by New Zealand's MetService, shows that Oscar peaked with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 200km/h (130mph), which would make it a Category5 severe tropical cyclone.[2] Other notable estimates include Charles J Newmann whose dataset shows that Oscar peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 195km/h (120mph) and a minimum pressure of 943hPa (27.8inHg). During 2017, a study into extreme tropical cyclone activity in the southern Pacific Ocean reanalysed various satellite images of Oscar and estimated that it had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 280km/h (175mph) which would make it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.[3]
Preparations and impact
Cyclone Oscar affected Fiji between 28February and 2March, and was responsible for nine deaths and US$130million in damages.[4] As a result of the storm's impact, the name Oscar was retired from the list of tropical cyclone names for the region. Ahead of a tropical cyclone alert for Fiji being issued on 27February, local radio bulletins made Fijians aware that a tropical cyclone existed several days in advance.[1] Gale, storm and hurricane warnings were subsequently issued for various parts of Fiji including Viti Levu, Kandavu and the Yasawa and Mamanutha island groups.[1][5] Ahead of the system impacting the island nation, the Nadi International Airport was closed, with both internal and external flights cancelled.[1][6] Schools around the nation were also closed with some being used as evacuation centres for the hundreds of Fijians who evacuated.[6] On 28February, the system started to affect Fiji with strong winds and light rain, before the wind and rain gradually became stronger the following day, with storm and hurricane-force winds recorded over the island nation.[1]
Damage was mostly in the form of severe flooding from storm tides and torrential rains.[7] Hardest hit areas included the Mamanutha Group, western and southwestern Viti Levu, and Yanutha, Vatulele, Kandevu and Mbengga Islands. In some areas storm surges reached nine to twelve feet (2.7 to 3.7m).[1] However, the highest measured storm surge value was 5.93 m (19.46 ft) at Rarawai Mill.[8] Flooding due to torrential rains was particularly severe in western and southwestern Viti Levu. At Nadi Market flood levels were about 12ft above the asphalt pavement. In the Singatoka Valley, which supplies most of Fiji's vegetables, most crops were destroyed as flooding reached levels beyond living memory of most people.[1]
Viti Levu
Kadavu
Other
Aftermath
On 1March, after the system had moved through the archipelago, the Fijian government immediately declared a national disaster and asked for assistance from the international community.[9] Efforts to clean up certain towns including Nadi, Lautoka, Sigatoka and Suva started almost immediately after Oscar had moved away, with the Sigatoka Town council initiating a spraying campaign to destroy mosquitoes and counter an outbreak of disease.[9]
References
12345678910111213141516Browne M L; Krishna, Ram (15 March 1983). Tropical Cyclone Oscar Preliminary Report (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service.
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