Cyclone Freda

{{Short description|Category 4 South Pacific tropical cyclone in 2012–2013}}

{{about|the 2012–13 cyclone|other storms of the same name|List of storms named Freda}}

{{Infobox weather event

| name = Severe Tropical Cyclone Freda

| image = Freda Dec 30 2012 0244Z.jpg

| caption = Cyclone Freda near peak intensity on 30 December

| dissipated = {{end date|2013|1|04|df=y}}

| formed = {{start date|2012|12|26|df=y}}

}}{{Infobox weather event/FMS

| agency = FMS

| winds = 100

| gusts =

| pressure = 940

}}{{Infobox weather event/JTWC

| winds = 110

| pressure = 941

}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects

| year = 2013

| damages-prefix =

| damages =

| fatalities = 2 total

| affected = Solomon Islands, New Caledonia

}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer

| season = 2012–13 South Pacific and Australian region cyclone seasons

}}

Severe Tropical Cyclone Freda was an intense tropical cyclone that developed during the 2012–13 South Pacific cyclone season and affected New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands as a weak tropical cyclone. The system that was to become Cyclone Freda was first classified on 26 December 2012, as a tropical disturbance. It gradually developed and was classified as a tropical cyclone and named Freda as it passed through the Solomon Islands on 28 December.

Within the Solomon Islands, no casualties and a moderate amount of damage were reported. In New Caledonia however, severe damage was reported after Freda had affected the territory around the new year of 2012–13. At least one person died and another went missing in New Caledonia during Freda's onslaught.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=73246|title=RNZ Pacific}} As Freda passed near New Caledonia, it started to rapidly weaken and became a tropical depression by 1 January, before eventually dissipating three days later.

Meteorological history

On 26 December 2012, the Fiji Meteorological Service's Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in Nadi (RSMC Nadi) reported that Tropical Disturbance 05F had developed within an area of low to moderate vertical windshear about 1075 km (670 mi) to the north of Port Vila, Vanuatu.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Summary 26 December 2012 09z|archive-date=26 December 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121226095724/http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WWPS21-NFFN_201212260900.htm|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|access-date=26 December 2012|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20036.txt|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western and South Pacific Oceans December 26, 2012 06z|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/ab/abpwweb.txt|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=26 December 2012|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005105/https://www.webcitation.org/6DDiF7s9N?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/ABPW10-PGTW_201212261200.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|date=26 December 2012|url-status=dead}} During that day, as the system moved towards the west, convection surrounding the centre and the general organization of the system increased, before RSMC Nadi reported that the system had developed into a tropical depression.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 27 December 2012 00z|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=27 December 2012|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005026/https://www.webcitation.org/6DDhnCFl4?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212270000.htm|access-date=31 December 2012|url-status=dead}} During 27 December, the depression started to move towards the southwest and the southern Solomon Islands, as convection surrounding the centre and the general organization of the system continued to increase.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 27 December 2012 06z|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=27 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-date=22 May 2024|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522004945/https://www.webcitation.org/6DDhn5zs0?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212270600.htm|url-status=dead}} The system then passed near the Southern Solomon Islands early the next day, before the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) designated the depression as Tropical Cyclone 06P and initiated advisories on it, as the system had become equivalent to a tropical storm.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 28 December 2012 00z|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=28 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-date=22 May 2024|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005147/https://www.webcitation.org/6DFFJEHjP?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212280000.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Warning December 28, 15z|archive-date=20 September 2012|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh0413web.txt|date=28 December 2012|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=31 December 2012|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920183423/http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw/wt/wtps31.pgtw..txt|url-status=dead}} Later that day, RSMC Nadi reported that the depression had become a category one tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Freda, as it continued to move towards the southwest and passed near Rennell Island.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 28 December 2012 18z|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=28 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-date=September 21, 2012|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921230831/http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw/wt/wtps11.nffn..txt|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|title=December 2012|journal=Darwin Tropical Diagnostic Statement|publisher=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|volume=31|issue=12|author=Darwin Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre|pages=2–3|issn=1321-4233|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/DTDS-201212.pdf|access-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023639/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/DTDS-201212.pdf|archive-date=17 November 2015|url-status=live}} During 29 December, Freda continued to move towards the south-southwest, crossed 160°E and briefly moved into the Australian region, before it started to move towards the south-southeast along the western edge of the subtropical ridge of high pressure and moved back into the South Pacific basin.{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Warning December 29, 15z|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh0513web.txt|date=29 December 2012|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=4 January 2012|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005551/https://www.webcitation.org/6DK6xJcpT?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS31-PGTW_201212291500.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory December 29, 2012 00z|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=29 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005227/https://www.webcitation.org/6DGv5yWEP?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212290000.htm|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone Technical Bulletin December 29, 2012 12z|publisher=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|author=Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20065.txt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005308/https://www.webcitation.org/6DJ3pckfb?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/AXAU21-ABRF_201212291324.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|url-status=dead}} During that day the system developed a {{convert|20|km|mi|round=5|abbr=on}} wide eye while significantly intensifying further, with RSMC Nadi reporting by 18:00 UTC that Freda had become a category 3 severe tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (95 mph).{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 29 December 2012 18z|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=29 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005427/https://www.webcitation.org/6DJIHuADT?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212291800.htm|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Warning December 30, 03z|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh0513web.txt|date=30 December 2012|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=4 January 2012|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005506/https://www.webcitation.org/6DK6xEnJ1?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS31-PGTW_201212300300.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|url-status=dead}}

During 30 December, Freda continued to intensify further before RSMC Nadi reported at 12:00 UTC that Freda had peaked with 10-minute sustained windspeeds of {{convert|185|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, which made it a category 4 severe tropical cyclone.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 30 December 2012 00z|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=31 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005348/https://www.webcitation.org/6DJHyXRjk?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201212301200.htm|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|url-status=dead}} The JTWC subsequently followed suit six hours later and reported that Freda had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of {{convert|205|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Running Best Track Analysis|url=https://science.nrlmry.navy.mil/geoips/tcdat/tc13/SHEM/05P.FREDA/trackfile.txt|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=31 December 2012|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|date=31 December 2012}} After it had peaked, Freda quickly weakened as it continued to move towards the south-southeast, as vertical windshear over the system increased and caused convection over Freda's northern semicircle to gradually wear away.{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Warning December 31, 03z|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh0513web.txt|date=31 December 2012|archive-date=31 December 2012|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|access-date=6 January 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231142638/http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS31-PGTW_201212310300.htm|url-status=dead}} By 00:00 UTC on 1 January, the JTWC reported that Freda had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane, while RSMC Nadi reported that the system had weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 1 January 2013 00z|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=1 January 2013|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|access-date=6 January 2013|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005627/https://www.webcitation.org/6DLPfwQMy?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201301010000.htm|url-status=dead}} Throughout that day, Freda continued to weaken. At 18:00 UTC, after deep convection had become displaced to the east of the low level circulation center, RSMC Nadi reported that the cyclone had weakened into a tropical depression.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Advisory 1 January 2013 18z|url=http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/20027.txt|date=1 January 2013|publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service|access-date=4 January 2013|author=RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre|archive-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005747/https://www.webcitation.org/6DQJzkE6s?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS11-NFFN_201301011800.htm|url-status=dead}} During the next day, the JTWC issued their final advisory on the system after the low level circulation center had become fully exposed before the remnant tropical depression crossed the northern part of New Caledonia's Grande Terre island.{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone 05P (Freda) Warning January 2, 2013 03z|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh0513web.txt|date=2 January 2013|archive-date=22 May 2024|access-date=6 January 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005708/https://www.webcitation.org/6DMqVT0YJ?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/WTPS31-PGTW_201301020300.htm|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Bilan provisoire du passage de Freda|url=http://www.meteo.nc/actualites/358|access-date=5 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120045717/http://meteo.nc/actualites/358-freda?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=|archive-date=20 January 2013|language=fr|date=4 January 2013|publisher=Meteo France New Caledonia|url-status=dead}} After crossing New Caledonia's biggest island, Freda started to move towards the southeast between Grande Terre and the Loyalty Islands, while the JTWC reported that Freda had become a subtropical cyclone, as it was positioned under a strong subtropical westerly flow.{{cite web|title=Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western and South Pacific Oceans January 2, 2013 22z|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/ab/abpwweb.txt|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005105/https://www.webcitation.org/6DDiF7s9N?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/ABPW10-PGTW_201212261200.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|date=2 January 2013|access-date=6 January 2013|url-status=dead}} The remnant tropical depression was subsequently last noted on 4 January, as it dissipated about {{convert|630|km|mi|round=5|abbr=on}} to the southwest of Nadi, Fiji.{{cite web|title=Significant Tropical Weather Advisory for the Western and South Pacific Oceans January 4, 2013 06z|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/ab/abpwweb.txt|publisher=United States Navy, United States Air Force|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522005105/https://www.webcitation.org/6DDiF7s9N?url=http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/advisories/ABPW10-PGTW_201212261200.htm|archive-date=22 May 2024|date=4 January 2013|access-date=5 January 2013|url-status=dead}}

Preparations and impact

File:Freda Jan 1 2013 2330Z.jpg on 1 January ]]

=The Solomon Islands=

Cyclone Freda caused a moderate amount of damage when it affected the Solomon Islands between 27 and 30 December, with wind speeds of up to {{convert|130|km/h|mph|round=5|abbr=on}}.{{cite news|title=$3m for cyclone relief|url=http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/16831%E2%80%903m%E2%80%90for%E2%80%90cyclone%E2%80%90relief|access-date=4 January 2012|newspaper=Solomon Star News|date=4 January 2012|author=Marau, Douglas|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140412025031/http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/16831%E2%80%903m%E2%80%90for%E2%80%90cyclone%E2%80%90relief|archive-date=12 April 2014|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Cyclone Freda hits Solomon Islands|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/124503/cyclone-freda-hits-solomon-islands|publisher=Radio New Zealand|access-date=4 January 2012}} Ahead of the system reaching the country, the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service issued various tropical disturbance and tropical cyclone watches and warnings for parts of the archipelago, including the islands of Makira, Malaita, Guadalcanal, Temotu, Sikaiana, Rennell and Bellona.{{cite web|title=Tropical Disturbance Watch Advice Number Two|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-date=30 October 2012|url=http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm|publisher=Solomon Islands Meteorological Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030195008/http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm |date=26 December 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone Warning Number Two|url=http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm|date=28 December 2012|access-date=31 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030195008/http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm |archive-date=30 October 2012|publisher=Solomon Islands Meteorological Service|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone Watch Advice Number Two|archive-date=30 October 2012|date=31 December 2012|publisher=Solomon Islands Meteorological Service|url=http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm|access-date=31 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030195008/http://www.met.gov.sb/TROPICAL%20DISTURBANCE%20ADVISORY.htm|url-status=dead}} Within the Solomon Islands, winds of up to {{convert|130|km/h|mph|round=5|abbr=on}} whipped roofs of houses and flattened trees, while heavy rain caused rivers to rise and flood. The provinces of Makira and Ulawa were the worst affected, with damage to infrastructure, food gardens and shelters reported. Several food gardens and houses were also destroyed on the island of Guadalcanal, while other provinces including Malaita, Temotu, Isabel and Central provinces reported minimal damage or no damage at all.

Freda brought strong winds and rain that flattened trees and lifted roofs.{{cite news|title=Cyclone hits Solomon Islands in South Pacific|date=29 December 2012|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur}} Makira Island was hardest hit, with rising rivers flooding some areas.

Most of the damage in the Solomon Islands was from widespread flooding in remote outlying islands, while there were no reports of any casualties.{{cite news|title=Pacific Cyclone Freda reaches New Caledonia|date=30 December 2012|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur}}

On 31 December, the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office approved a $3.7 million budget for work programmes, transport, logistics and food relief supplies to deal with the damage left behind by Cyclone Freda.

=New Caledonia=

On 29 December, the French High Commissioner for New Caledonia placed the whole of the archipelago under a pre-alert, as Freda was expected to generate heavy rain and disrupt New Year's Eve celebrations.{{cite news|newspaper=Le Point.fr|title=Le cyclone Freda: futur cauchemar de la Nouvelle-Calédonie?|url=http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/le-cyclone-freda-futur-cauchemar-de-la-nouvelle-caledonie-29-12-2012-1606841_23.php|access-date=31 December 2012|date=29 December 2012}}

Within New Caledonia, the strongest winds were observed on Grand Terre's south-southwestern coast, with a maximum gust of {{convert|154|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and a rainfall amount of {{convert|438|mm|in|abbr=on}} were recorded at the Goro weather station.

One man drowned in high seas whipped up by Freda, while another went missing after attempting to cross a swollen river.{{cite news|title=One killed as Cyclone Freda hits New Caledonia|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-03/an-cyclones-kills-one-in-new-caledonia/4451824|access-date=6 January 2013|date=3 January 2013|agency=Agence France-Presse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106082427/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-03/an-cyclones-kills-one-in-new-caledonia/4451824|archive-date=6 January 2013|url-status=live}}