Cyclone Bebe
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Satellite image of Cyclone Bebe
|
|
| Formed | October 19, 1972 |
| Dissipated | October 28, 1972 |
| (Extratropical after October 25) | |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 155 km/h (100 mph) 1-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 945 hPa (mbar); 27.91 inHg |
| Fatalities | 24 |
| Damage | $20 million (1972 USD) |
| Areas affected | Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Fiji |
| Part of the 1972–73 South Pacific cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Bebe, also known as Hurricane Bebe, was a pre-season storm in the South Pacific Ocean that impacted Fiji, the Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu) and the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) during October 1972.
During October 16, 1972, two tropical disturbances developed, on both sides of the equator near the 175th meridian west. The first tropical disturbance developed in the Northern Hemisphere and eventually developed into Typhoon Olga during October 25, where it directly impacted the Marshall Islands. The second disturbance developed within the Southern Pacific Ocean, where it started to move westwards and show signs of developing into a tropical cyclone during October 19. As the disturbance intensified further; it became equivalent to a modern-day category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale during October 20. The newly named system subsequently continued to intensify and was classified as a hurricane during October 21, before it passed near or over Funafuti atoll, where hurricane force winds were recorded.
During October 22, Bebe weakened slightly, as it passed about 120 km (75 mi) to the west of the Tuvaluan reef island Niulakita. By this time the systems circulation extended out about 965 km (600 mi) and had started to move south-eastwards. Bebe was subsequently located about 60 km (35 mi) to the northeast of Rotuma, by a Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft that was on a search and rescue mission to Tuvalu. The system subsequently passed near too or over Rotuma and peaked with 10-minute sustained winds estimated at 155 km/h (100 mph) and 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 205 km/h (125 mph) which made it equivalent to a category 3 tropical cyclone on both the Australian Scale and Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. After affecting Rotuma with hurricane force winds during that day, the system moved southwards towards the main islands of Fiji, and appeared on the Cossor Radar screen at the Nadi Meteorological Office during October 23. The centre of the hurricane moved on to the north coast of Viti Levu.
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Wikipedia