1980–81 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season explained

Basin:SWI
Year:1981
Track:1980-1981 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season summary.jpg
First Storm Formed:November 8, 1980
Last Storm Dissipated:May 4, 1981
Strongest Storm Name:Florine
Strongest Storm Pressure:935
Strongest Storm Winds:122
Average Wind Speed:10
Total Depressions:12
Total Storms:12
Total Hurricanes:3
Total Intense:2
Australian Season:1980–81 Australian region cyclone season
South Pacific Season:1980–81 South Pacific cyclone season

The 1980–81 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was an average cyclone season.

Season summary

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BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month

PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:09/11/1980 till:14/11/1980 color:TC text:"Alice-Adelaide (TC)" from:22/11/1980 till:01/12/1980 color:TS text:"Bettina (MTS)" from:24/11/1980 till:09/12/1980 color:TC text:"Bert-Christelle (TC)" from:17/12/1980 till:19/12/1980 color:TS text:"Diana (MTS)" from:28/12/1980 till:01/01/1981 color:TS text:"Edwige (MTS)" from:03/01/1981 till:11/01/1981 color:VI text:"Florine (VITC)" from:14/01/1981 till:16/01/1981 color:TS text:"Gaelle (MTS)" from:28/01/1981 till:06/02/1981 color:TS text:"Helyette (MTS)" barset:break from:16/02/1981 till:25/02/1981 color:ST text:"Iadine (STS)" from:01/03/1981 till:11/03/1981 color:ST text:"Johanne (STS)" from:28/03/1981 till:08/04/1981 color:TS text:"Klara (MTS)" from:06/04/1981 till:16/04/1981 color:TS text:"Lisa (MTS)"

bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/11/1980 till:01/12/1980 text:November from:01/12/1980 till:31/12/1980 text:December from:01/01/1981 till:31/01/1981 text:January from:01/02/1981 till:28/02/1981 text:February from:01/03/1981 till:31/03/1981 text:March from:01/04/1981 till:30/04/1981 text:April

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Systems

Intense Tropical Cyclone Alice–Adelaide

Basin:SWI
Track:Alice-Adelaide 1980 track.png
Formed:November 3
Dissipated:November 14
10-Min Winds:65
1-Min Winds:110
Pressure:940

On November 3, a low-pressure area developed off the southwest coast of Sumatra in the Australian basin. The BoM upgraded the low to Tropical Cyclone Alice two days later, which was intensifying while moving west-southwestward, steered by the subtropical ridge to its south. Alice attained a peak intensity of 180km/h in the Australian basin on November 7. While in the region, the cyclone's high waves capsized two boats. The crew of the Sing Long No. 21 escaped in two life rafts; a freighter rescued one raft, but the other was lost, with 12 crew members aboard.[1]

Cyclone Alice crossed 90º E on November 9, and 85º E a day later,[1] whereupon the MMS renamed the storm as Adelaide,[2] estimating winds of at least 120km/h. The JTWC estimated maximum sustained winds of 205km/h at that time. Adelaide soon began a weakening trend, falling below tropical cyclone status on November 11. A day later, the storm turned to the west-northwest, steered by a ridge to the south. Adelaide weakened to a tropical depression on November 13, and was no longer classifiable a tropical cyclone by a day later.[3] [4] [5]

Moderate Tropical Storm Bettina

Basin:SWI
Track:Bettina 1980 track.png
Formed:November 22
Dissipated:December 1
10-Min Winds:45
1-Min Winds:50

Bettina formed on November 22, over the central Indian Ocean. It moved south-southwestward and reached a peak intensity of 50kn on November 26. It made landfall as a tropical storm over Mozambique and weakened shortly after on December 1.

Tropical Cyclone Bert–Christelle

Basin:SWI
Track:Bert-Christelle 1981 track.png
Formed:November 24
Dissipated:December 9
10-Min Winds:75
1-Min Winds:80
Pressure:965

Formed on November 24 over the open Indian Ocean it moved in a mostly southwest direction, though it did curve a few times. It reached a peak intensity of 80kn and a pressure of 965hPa on November 29. Christelle made landfall on Madagascar on December 9 as a tropical depression.

Moderate Tropical Storm Diana

Basin:SWI
Track:Diana 1980 track.png
Formed:December 17
Dissipated:December 19
10-Min Winds:35
1-Min Winds:35

Diana existed from December 17 to December 19.

Moderate Tropical Storm Edwige

Basin:SWI
Track:Edwige 1980 track.png
Formed:December 28
Dissipated:January 1
10-Min Winds:35
1-Min Winds:35

Edwige brushed Madagascar.

Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Florine

Basin:SWI
Track:Florine 1981 track.png
Formed:January 3
Dissipated:January 11
10-Min Winds:120
1-Min Winds:105
Pressure:935

Toward the beginning of January, the ITCZ was active to the northeast of Madagascar, spawning a circulation east of Agalega that became a depression on January 3. On the next day, the system was named Florine. Steered between a ridge to its northwest and northeast, the system moved erratically until January 5, when Florine began a steady movement to the south and later southwest. The change in trajectory was because the ridge to Florine's northeast had weakened. On January 6, the intensifying storm passed just west of St. Brandon, where a station recorded sustained winds of 115km/h and gusts of 148km/h. A day later, the outer eyewall of Florine moved across Réunion island, while the center of the eye passed 25 km east of Sainte-Rose. Roland Garros Airport recorded a minimum pressure of 935mbar, the lowest on the island. A landfall was spared due to a shift in trajectory to the south-southeast caused by a passing cold front.[6] Also around this time, the cyclone reached its peak intensity according to the JTWC; the agency estimated peak winds of 195km/h, based on a Dvorak rating of 5.5.[7] [8] The MFR estimated peak 10 minute winds of 220km/h.[6] Florine weakened as it accelerated ahead of a polar trough, and was no classifiable as a tropical cyclone on January 10. The remnants passed west of Île Amsterdam on the next day and continued southeastward.[6] [7]

Florine's close passage to Réunion caused injuries to two people. The high winds, peaking at 234km/h at Plaine des Cafres, affected the island alongside heavy rainfall. Precipitation totals ranged from 100mm near the coast to 1161mm at Foc-Foc. High tides reached 5.2m (17.1feet) at the coast in La Possession. Cyclone Florine destroyed crops and 95 houses. It caused injuries to two people and left around 500 people homeless. The storm knocked down 2000 phone lines and caused disruptions to the power network. Cilaos and Salazie became isolated during the storm, requiring assistance by helicopter. In nearby Mauritius, winds peaked at 137km/h.[6]

Moderate Tropical Storm Gaelle

Basin:SWI
Track:Gaelle 1981 track.png
Formed:January 14
Dissipated:January 18
10-Min Winds:40
1-Min Winds:45

Gaelle existed from January 14 to January 18.

Moderate Tropical Storm Helyette

Basin:SWI
Track:Helyette 1981 track.png
Formed:January 28
Dissipated:February 6
10-Min Winds:40
1-Min Winds:45

On January 31, Tropical Depression Helyette passed north of Rodrigues, and the next day moved over Mauritius and just southeast of Réunion. The highest wind gust was 121km/h at Fort William on Mauritius. Helyette made landfall in Madagascar.[9]

Severe Tropical Storm Iadine

Basin:SWI
Track:Iadine 1981 track.png
Formed:February 16
Dissipated:February 25
10-Min Winds:50
1-Min Winds:55

Iadine also made landfall in Madagascar.

Severe Tropical Storm Johanne

Basin:SWI
Track:Johanne 1981 track.png
Formed:March 1
Dissipated:March 11
10-Min Winds:60
1-Min Winds:80

Johanne existed from March 1 to March 11. On March 6, Tropical Storm Johanne passed between Réunion and Mauritius while passing southeastward, with respective island rainfall totals of 316and. The highest wind gust was 124km/h at Mon Desert Alma on Mauritius.[10]

Moderate Tropical Storm Klara

Basin:SWI
Track:Klara 1981 track.png
Formed:March 28
Dissipated:April 8
10-Min Winds:40
1-Min Winds:40

Klara existed from March 28 to April 8.

Moderate Tropical Storm Lisa

Basin:SWI
Track:Lisa 1981 track.png
Formed:April 6
Dissipated:April 16
10-Min Winds:40
1-Min Winds:40

Lisa existed from April 6 to April 16.

For several days, Lisa looped to the north of the Mascarene Islands, coming within 200km (100miles) of Mauritius on April 9. For several the storm dropped rainfall on the islands, reaching 398mm in Mauritius and 445mm on Réunion. Flooding caused road damage in the latter island.[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Tropical Cyclone Alice. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. November 9, 2018.
  2. La Saison Cyclonique 1980-1981 A Madagascar. La Météorlogie, Service de la Réunion. 137–139. Madagascar: Revue de Géographie. November 9, 2018. fr. PDF. 39. Juil-Déc 1981.
  3. Météo-France . Donnes de Bemany . November 9, 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050130042127/http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/base_cyclone/nom_annee/ADELAIDE_1980.html . January 30, 2005 . mdy-all .
  4. Kenneth R. Knapp. Michael C. Kruk. David H. Levinson. Howard J. Diamond. Charles J. Neumann. 2010. The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data. [{{IBTRACS url|id=1980308S05102}} 1980 Adelaide (1980308S05102)]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. November 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040540/http://www.atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_current/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r09-1980308S05102. November 10, 2018. live.
  5. Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. [{{GTECCA url|basin=SWI|year=1986_8}} Tropical Cyclone Adelaide, 9–14 November]. 1996. National Climatic Data Center. November 9, 2018.
  6. Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. [{{GTECCA url|basin=SWI|year=1981_1}} Tropical Cyclone Florine 4–10 January]. 1996. National Climatic Data Center. 2016-11-20.
  7. Kenneth R. Knapp. Michael C. Kruk. David H. Levinson. Howard J. Diamond. Charles J. Neumann. 2010. The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data. [{{IBTRACS url|id=1981003S11059}} 1981 Florine (1981003S11059)]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2016-11-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160707135118/http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1981003S11059. July 7, 2016. live.
  8. Forecast Verification and Reconnaissance Data for Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclones (July 1980 through June 1982). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. John W. Diercks. Robert C. Weir. Mary K. Kopper. November 20, 2016. Tech Note. 82-1. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052100/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA130187. live. March 4, 2016. PDF.
  9. Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. [{{GTECCA url|basin=SWI|year=1981_3}} Tropical Cyclone Helyette, 28 January-4 February]. 1996. National Climatic Data Center. February 2, 2019.
  10. Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. [{{GTECCA url|basin=SWI|year=1981_5}} Tropical Depression Johanne, 1–10 March]. 1996. National Climatic Data Center. February 2, 2019.
  11. Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. [{{GTECCA url|basin=SWI|year=1981_8}} Tropical Depression Lisa, 6–14 April]. 1996. National Climatic Data Center. February 2, 2019.