Severe Tropical Cyclone Peni was the first and only

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

to impact and cause significant damage to the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

in the 1990 South Pacific cyclone season. A shallow area of low-pressure began to develop near

Rakahanga Rakahanga is part of the Cook Islands, situated in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. The unspoilt atoll is from the Cook Islands' capital, Rarotonga, and lies south of the equator. Its nearest neighbour is Manihiki which is just away. Raka ...

, an island in the Cook Island chain. The storm had also formed on the

South Pacific convergence zone The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), a reverse-oriented monsoon trough, is a band of low-level convergence, cloudiness and precipitation extending from the Western Pacific Warm Pool at the maritime continent south-eastwards towards French Pol ...

. The storm was first recognized on February 12, and had received tropical cyclone characteristics on the 13th. At 21:00 UTC, the storm was recognized as Tropical Cyclone Peni. The storm then took a path southwest towards the Cook Islands, Peni made a narrow turn and passed close to

Aitutaki Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura and Utataki, is the second most-populated island in the Cook Islands, after Rarotonga. It is an "almost atoll", with fifteen islets in a lagoon adjacent to the main island. Total land area is , and the ...

. Peni had gained hurricane status on the 15th, at 06:00 UTC. Peni had been able to keep hurricane characteristics until February 17, when it was downgraded to a storm, and soon, was declared

extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...

. The name ''Peni'' was retired from the naming list.

Meteorological history

On February 11, 1990, a shallow area of low-pressure which had formed near the

began to develop near

. The low-pressure system had gone through development and had acquired tropical cyclone status. The tropical cyclone was designated as Tropical Cyclone ''Peni'' on February 12. Tropical Cyclone Peni had developed normal tropical cyclone characteristics around February 13 and had wind speeds up to 50 kts. Over the next 30 hours, Peni headed southwest towards the Cook archipelago. Peni had taken a steady southwestern track before passing close nearby Aitutkai around 10:00 UTC on the 15th. The Aitutkai Meteorological Office was evacuated due to dreadful and deteriorating weather conditions. At 06:00 UTC, Peni was upgraded to cyclone status. After gaining severe cyclone status, Peni made its closest point to the Cooks archipelago, near Rakahanga. Rakahanga was the only island reporting major damage, and Aitutaki was hit with severe weather. Cyclone Peni had downgraded to a tropical cyclone on 06:00 UTC on February 17 after encountering the Cook Islands. Peni lost tropical cyclone characteristics as it neared southern vertical

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...

. The storm dissipated in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean at 17:00 UTC.

Preparations and impact

Not much is known about preparations from Cyclone Peni but the island of Rarotonga was prepared. The Cook Islands had significant impact with Peni. Peni had caused more than $1 million in 1990 USD. The cyclone had brought waves more than 8 meters high. Peni had specifically impacted these 3 islands: * Rakahanga * Aitutki *

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

Atiu Atiu, also known as Enuamanu (meaning ''land of the birds''), is an island of the Cook Islands archipelago, lying in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of Rarotonga. The island's population has dropped b ...

Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popula ...

* and

Mauke Mauke (Ma'uke also Akatokamanava) is an island of the Cook Islands archipelago, lying in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of Rarotonga. Geography Mauke is a raised coral atoll, with a central volcani ...

While Cyclone Peni was still 2" east of Rarotonga, rain and gale winds had spread around the islands. Airstrips in Mauke and Rakahanga were closed due to the harsh weather, but Rarotonga International Airport were still in operation. Wharves on the beaches of Suwarrow were badly damages by the impact. Bananas, coconuts, roads, schools and government buildings were impacted by the storm. One person was killed in Rarotonga.

Aftermath

The governments of

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

spoke about Cyclone Peni and

Cyclone Ofa Severe Tropical Cyclone Ofa was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused severe damage in Polynesia in February of 1990. The system was first noted on January 27, 1990, near Tuvalu, as a shallow tropical depression that had developed within the Sou ...

and the devastation in the archipelagos in a

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

session. The Australian representer spoke out, saying:

''"Cyclone Ofa had caused widespread devastation in the South Pacific region, and another tropical cyclone – Cyclone Peni – had been wreaking havoc in the region of the northern Cook Islands. The small island developing country of Samoa had been particularly hard hit."''

The UNDP had approved 30,000 emergency personnel to the island. The government of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

had a

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...

flight make a fly-by to deliver building materials and fuel to the archipelago. The Cook Island government had asked for an emergency relief, which was granted. The UNDP had given a $4 million (1990 USD) relief for the Cook Islands.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peni 1989–90 South Pacific cyclone season Tropical cyclones in the Cook Islands Category 3 South Pacific cyclones Retired South Pacific cyclones 1990 in the Cook Islands