NAMU

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu began as a weak tropical depression within a monsoon trough north of Malaita in the Solomon Islands on 15 May 1986. The Fiji Meteorological Service initially monitored the system as it drifted eastwards away from the archipelago, but convection collapsed and warnings were suspended when it appeared unlikely that gales were present. The depression reorganised on 17 May, turning back towards the islands on a south-westerly track, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began advisories on it as Tropical Cyclone 33P. Rapid intensification followed, and at about 21:00 UTC that day the system was named Namu.

Namu passed near or over Manawai Harbour on Malaita around 14:00 UTC on 18 May, then tracked south parallel to the island's east coast before crossing it north of Maka. Emerging into the Indispensable Strait, it struck Guadalcanal near Marau Sound at roughly 16:00 UTC. Two hours later the FMS assessed peak intensity of 150 km/h (10-minute sustained), making Namu a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale; the JTWC later estimated one-minute winds of 155 km/h. The system slowed almost to a standstill for three hours over Guadalcanal near Avuavu before turning south into the Solomon Sea, briefly entering the Australian region and passing about 35 km northwest of Bellona. Steered south-east by westerlies, it passed northeast of Nouméa, weakened quickly over cooler air, and was lost near southern Vanuatu on 22 May.

The cyclone's sluggish movement produced days of torrential rain between 18 and 21 May, triggering catastrophic flooding, landslides and mudslides. Malaita's east coast villages were devastated by wind and seas, while roughly 75 per cent of Guadalcanal's plains flooded and 22 per cent of homes were damaged or destroyed; one village of 43 people lost all but five residents. At least 150 deaths were attributed to Namu, with about 90,000 people — a third of the population — left homeless and losses reaching US$100 million. A national state of emergency was declared, and the name Namu was subsequently retired.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia