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Category 4 the second-highest classification on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale which is used to classify tropical cyclones, that have 10-minute sustained winds of at least wind speeds of 86–107 knots (159–198 km/h; 99–123 mph). As of 2019 47 tropical cyclones have peaked Category 4 severe tropical cyclones in the South Pacific tropical cyclone basin, which is denoted as the part of the Pacific Ocean to the south of the equator and to the east of 160°E. The earliest tropical cyclone to be classified as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone was Gyan which was classified as a Category 4 during December 22, 1981, as it impacted New Caledonia. The latest was Pola as it passed between Fiji and Tonga. This list does include any tropical cyclones that peaked as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone, while in the Southern Pacific tropical cyclone basin.

Background

The South Pacific tropical cyclone basin is located to the south of the Equator between 160°E and 120°W. The basin is officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service and the New Zealand MetService, while other meteorological services such as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Météo-France as well as the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center also monitor the basin. Within the basin a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone is a tropical cyclone that has 10-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of 86–107 knots (159–198 km/h; 99–123 mph) on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. A named storm could also be classified as a Category 4 tropical cyclone if it is estimated, to have 1-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of between 113–136 knots (209–252 km/h; 130–157 mph) on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. This scale is only officially used in American Samoa, however, various agencies including NASA also use it to compare tropical cyclones. A Category 4 tropical cyclone is expected to cause catastrophic devastation, if it significantly impacts land at or near its peak intensity.

Systems

Other systems

The FMS considers Gabrielle to have peaked as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone in the Australian region and weakened into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone as it moved into its area of responsibility.

In addition to the 47 tropical cyclones listed above Severe Tropical Cyclone's: Kerry, Katrina, Larry and Jasper, were considered by the BoM to be Category 4 Severe tropical cyclones within the South Pacific Ocean, after they had moved into the Australian region. The BoM also considers Severe Tropical Cyclone Watorea, to have been a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone, within the Australian region before it moved into the basin during February 24. Severe Tropical Cyclone Anne was estimated to have peaked by the JTWC, with one-minute sustained wind speeds of 260 km/h (160 mph) for six hours during January 11, 1988. This made it equivalent to a Category 5 tropical cyclone on the SSHWS, however, the FMS estimated that the system had peaked with 10-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) based on the Dvorak technique, which made it a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. During 2017, a study into Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones over the South Pacific during the 1980s, was published within the Royal Meteorological Society's International Journal of Climatology. This showed that the intensity of such tropical cyclones had been underestimated by the various warning centres during the decade. In particular, they estimated that Severe Tropical Cyclone's Oscar and Nisha-Orama had 1-minute sustained winds of 285 km/h (175 mph), which would make them Category 5 tropical cyclones on the SSHWS.

Notes

1. Harry peaked as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone while in the South Pacific basin during February 13, before it peaked as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone within the Australian region.

See also

• List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
• List of Category 4 Pacific hurricanes

References

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External links

• World Meteorological Organization
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology
• Fiji Meteorological Service
• New Zealand MetService
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center

• Category 4 South Pacific cyclones
• Lists of tropical cyclones by intensity