Cyclone Oscar
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 3 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
 |
|
| Formed | February 23, 1983 |
| Dissipated | March 6, 1983 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 920 hPa (mbar); 27.17 inHg |
| Fatalities | 9 |
| Damage | $130 million (USD) |
| Areas affected | Fiji |
| Part of the 1982–83 South Pacific cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Oscar was one of the worst tropical cyclones to affect Fiji. The system was first noted as a shallow depression during December 23, while it was located to the north of Suva, Fiji. The system subsequently developed further as it moved westwards and was named as Tropical Cyclone Oscar during the next day. Over the next few days Oscar subsequently intensified as it moved westwards and gradually developed further and equivalent to a Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone, on the modern day Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale during February 27. The system subsequently turned and started to move south-eastwards towards Fiji.
On February 23, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor a shallow depression, that had developed about 485 km (300 mi) to the north-northwest of Suva, Fiji. The system subsequently developed further as it moved westwards and was declared a tropical cyclone and named Oscar by the FMS during February 24. Over the next few days Oscar subsequently intensified as it moved westwards and gradually developed further. During February 27, Oscar became equivalent to a Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone, on the modern day Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale as it started to move towards the south-east and Fiji. The system subsequently continued to intensify during that day with the eye appearing on satellite imagery, before it came into the range of the Nadi International Airport's radar at around 03:30 UTC (15:30 FST) on February 28. The radar imagery showed that the system had an eye within a better defined and larger concentric eye and allowed the FMS to perform hourly fixes on the systems position. Later that day at 12:00 UTC (00:00 FST, March 1), the FMS reported that the system had peaked as a Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone, with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 205 km/h (125 mph). The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center subsequently reported six hours later that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
...
Wikipedia