2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season: Difference between revisions

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==Systems==

==Systems==

=== Tropical Disturbance 01F{{anchor|01F}} ===

=== Tropical Disturbance 01F ===

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=== Tropical Depression 02F {{anchor|02F}}===

=== Tropical Depression 02F ===

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=== Tropical Depression 03F {{anchor|03F}}===

=== Tropical Depression 03F ===

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=== Tropical Disturbance 04F{{anchor|04F}} ===

=== Tropical Disturbance 04F ===

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=== Tropical Disturbance 05F{{anchor|05F}} ===

=== Tropical Disturbance 05F ===

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=== Tropical Depression 06F{{anchor|06F}} ===

=== Tropical Depression 06F ===

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=== Tropical Depression 07F {{anchor|07F}}===

=== Tropical Depression 07F ===

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Cyclone season in the South Pacific Ocean

The 2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season is an ongoing cyclone season in the South Pacific Ocean to the east of 160°E. The season officially started on 1 November 2025, and will end on 30 April 2026; however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2025, and 30 June 2026, and would count towards the season total. During the season, tropical cyclones will be officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service, Australian Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand’s MetService. The United States Armed Forces through the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) will also monitor the basin and issue unofficial warnings for American interests. The FMS attaches a number and an F suffix to tropical disturbances that form in or move into the basin while the JTWC designates significant tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix. The BoM, FMS and MetService all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate windspeeds with a period of approximately ten minutes, while the JTWC estimates sustained winds over a 1-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS).

Seasonal forecasts

Ahead of the season officially starting on 1 November, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) and Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), both issued a tropical cyclone outlook that discussed the upcoming season.^[1][3] These outlooks took into account a variety of factors such as a developing weak to moderate La Niña event and what had happened in previous seasons such as 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21 and 2021–22.^[1][3] The Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook issued by Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) in conjunction with MetService and various other Pacific meteorological services, predicted that five to nine tropical cyclones would occur over the South Pacific Ocean between 135°E and 120°W.^[3] The outlook also predicted that two to four of these tropical cyclones would intensify further and become either a Category three, four or five severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale.^[3] In addition to contributing towards the Southwest Pacific tropical cyclone outlook, the FMS predicted that four or five tropical cyclones would occur within the basin, while one to three of these tropical cyclones were expected to intensify further and become either a category three, four or five severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale.^[1]

Seasonal summary

Systems

Tropical Disturbance 01F

Duration	2 December – 4 December
Peak intensity	85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min); 999 hPa (mbar)

On 2 December, a subtropical cyclone formed and was tracked by JTWC and tracked southeastward. The storm degenerated and then dissipated without being named 2 days later.

Tropical Depression 02F

Duration	5 December – 6 December
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 1000 hPa (mbar)

On 5 December, JTWC started monitoring Tropical Cyclone 06P, embedded within the South Pacific Convergence Zone, 216 nmi north of Papeete, Tahiti. The cyclone was extremely compact and had rapidly consolidated over the preceding 24 hours.^[4] Later that day, FMS identified the cyclone as Tropical Disturbance 02F and noted the potential for strengthening in a favorable environment with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures.^[5] 02F was upgraded to a tropical depression by FMS on late night of 5 December, but the system quickly came under the influence of moderate shear which exposed the system’s low-level circulation center.^[6] JTWC ceased warnings later that day and downgraded the cyclone to a subtropical depression. The depression was last noted on 6 December, as the sheared system accelerated southeastward.^[7]

Tropical Depression 03F

Duration	10 December – 16 December
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 1000 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 03F was designated just east of the Solomon Islands by the Fiji Meteorological Service on 10 December.^[8]

Tropical Disturbance 04F

Duration	28 December – 1 January
Peak intensity	45 km/h (30 mph) (1-min); 1001 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Disturbance 04F developed north of Samoa on 28 December.^[9]

Tropical Disturbance 05F

Duration	19 January (Entered basin) – 20 January
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min); 994 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Low 14U entered the South Pacific basin from the Australian region late on the night of 19 January. It was designated Tropical Disturbance 05F by the Fiji Meteorological Service upon crossover. On the 21st of January, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and had severe impacts in northern New Zealand. MetService issued Red Warnings for heavy rainfall in some regions of the North Island.^[10] Nine people are confirmed or presumed dead.^[11][12]

Tropical Depression 06F

Duration	21 January – 22 January
Peak intensity	75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min); 994 hPa (mbar)

Tropical Depression 07F

Duration	27 January (Entered basin) – 29 January
Peak intensity	100 km/h (65 mph) (1-min); 998 hPa (mbar)

Storm names

Within the Southern Pacific, a tropical depression is judged to have reached tropical cyclone intensity should it reach winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and it is evident that gales are occurring at least halfway around the center. Tropical depressions intensifying into a tropical cyclone between the Equator and 26°S and between 160°E and 120°W are named by the FMS; should a tropical depression intensify to the south of 26°S between 160°E and 120°W it will be named in conjunction with the FMS by MetService. Should a tropical cyclone move out of the basin and into the Australian region it will retain its original name. The names that will be used for the 2025–26 season are listed below:.^[13] The name from Urmil to Becky is from the same list used for tropical cyclones in 2005–06 and 2006–07 season.

Urmil (unused) Vaianu (unused) Wati (unused) Xavier (unused) Yani (unused) Zita (unused)

Arthur (unused) Becky (unused) Chip (unused) Denia (unused) Elisa (unused) Fotu (unused)

Season effects

This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific to the east of longitude 160°E during the 2025–26 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, landfalls, deaths, and damages. All data is taken from RSMC Nadi and/or TCWC Wellington, and all of the damage figures are in 2025 or 2026 USD.

See also

References

External links