User:Jason Rees/Eric

Severe Tropical Cyclone Eric was the first of two tropical cyclones, to impact the island nations of Vanuatu and Fiji within 48 hours during January 1985.

Meteorological history
On January 13, 1985 the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor a shallow depression, that had developed within the monsoon trough about 835 km to the west of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. Over the next day, as the system moved eastwards it gradually developed further, with satellite imagery showing an increase in the "cyclonic curvature" of the atmospheric convection surrounding the systems centre. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Centre subsequently designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 11P and initiated advisories on the depression at 12:00 UTC (00:00 FST, January 15), while it was located about 835 km to the west of Espirtu Santo. Four hours later, the FMS named the system Eric, as it had developed estimated to have gale force winds near the centre and had become equivalent to a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the modern day Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. After it was named, the system continued to move eastwards and develop further, before it passed near or over Espiritu Santo at near storm intensity just before 12:00 UTC (00:00 FST) on January 15. Later that day, as Eric left the Vanuatu Archipelago, it increased its forward speed and started to move south-eastwards towards Fiji. Over the next 24 hours, the system became hard to track, as clouds associated with the cyclone obscured its centre and it developed an eye. During this time, it was thought that Eric had become equivalent to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, before the appearance of the eye in visible imagery at around 16:00 UTC on January 16, (04:00 FST January 17) confirmed its intensity. Later that day an Air Pacific flight from Fiji to the Solomon Islands located the systems eye on radarscope, before it came into the range of Nadi airport's surveillance radar at around 00:30 UTC (12:30 FST) on January 17. At around this time, the FMS estimated that Eric had peaked as a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, with estimated peak 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 150 km/h (90 mph).

During January 17, the FMS were subsequently able to perform fixes on the systems eye until around 07:00 UTC (19:00 FST), when the radars antenna had to be taken down and locked away as the wind speeds at Nadi increased. As Eric moved closer to Fiji's main island of Viti Levu, the system accelerated and its eye seemed to contract to around 20 km. Ahead of the system making landfall, the JTWC estimated that Eric had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. The system subsequently made landfall on Viti Levu, at around 20:30 UTC on January 17, (08:30 FST, January 18), about 10 km to the south of Nadi. As a result, of communications between Nadi and Suva being disrupted after the cyclone had made landfall, the New Zealand Meteorological Service (NZMS) took over the FMS's warning responsibilities and started to issue warnings on both cyclones. At around 10:45 UTC (22:45 FST) after the winds at Nadi had decreased, the FMS brought the radar back into operation and noted that Eric's eye region had been modified by the landmass of Viti-Levu. The system subsequently passed near or over Fiji's capital: Suva, before it emerged into the Koro Sea and weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone. The system passed about 10 mi to the south of the Fijian Island, Moala at around 14:30 UTC (02:30 FST, December 18). The system subsequently exited the Fijian Islands shortly afterwards and was heading towards the Tongan Haʻapai Group of islands. Early on January 18, Eric passed through the Ha'apai islands just to the south of Nomuka. After affecting the Tongan islands, Eric moved south-eastwards and gradually weakened further, before it was last noted during January 20, over 1800 km to the south of Papeete on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.

Effects
Severe Tropical Cyclone Eric was the first of two tropical cyclones, to impact the island nations of Vanuatu and Fiji, within 48 hours during January 1985. As a direct result of Severe Tropical Cyclone Nigel taking a similar path less than a week later, the systems impacts in specific places became difficult to differentiate. However, their tracks were sufficiently apart for their devastation, at any location to be attributed to either cyclone. Overall Eric was thought to have caused at least $40 million in damages and 33 deaths, while both systems killed at least 39 people. As a result of the impact caused by the cyclone, the name Eric was retired from the list of South Pacific tropical cyclone names.

Vanuatu
During January 15, Eric became the first of five tropical cyclones to impact Vanuatu during 1985, as it passed near the island of Espirtu Santo. After the system had passed there were no reports of any significant damage, however, total damages were estimated at, while eight deaths were attributed to Eric within the island nation. The combined force of Eric, Nigel and later Cyclone Odette extensively damaged communities and disrupted inter island transport. However, heavy rains associated with the systems, helped to ease an ongoing drought.

Fiji
During January 16, after the system had impacted Vanuatu, the FMS issued a tropical cyclone alert for Viti Levu, Kadavu, the Yasawa and Mamanuca Island groups as well as several other smaller island chains. The FMS issued a number of hurricane, storm and gale warnings for various parts of Fiji, including Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kadavu, Vatuela, in time for the first Radio Fiji weather bulletin of January 17. As a result of this warning, offices across the nation were closed in order to allow workers, to protect their houses and business. The Nadi International Airport and the port in Suva were also closed, with flights diverted and ships sent to shelter from Eric elsewhere. During that day, the FMS issued bulletins every 3 hours in which they revised the warnings, before communications between Nadi and Suva failed at around 10:00 UTC (22:00 FST), after Eric had made landfall near Nadi. As a result, of this the New Zealand Meteorological Service took over Fiji's responsibilities and issued 3 bulletins, before they issued the final warning for Fiji, as Eric moved away from the islands at 00:00 UTC (12:00 FST) on January 18.

Eric's storm and hurricane force winds, produced very severe damage to the Mamanuca group of islands and parts of Viti Levu, including Lautoka and Nadi, while other parts of Viti Levu including Suva and Lami suffered less severe damage.

Tonga
Within Tonga there was no casualties or significant damage reported, however, around 80% of the banana crop was damaged, while several homes and a wharf were destroyed.