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Tropical Cyclone Sose was a moderate storm system that chiefly impacted the island nation of Vanuatu in early April 2001. The developing cyclone was first detected on April 3, while situated well to the northeast of Vanuatu. As atmospheric conditions became more conducive to intensification, the disturbance gradually consolidated as it drifted toward the west-southwest. After receiving the name Sose on April 5, the cyclone was driven southeastward, passing just west of Espiritu Santo and neighboring islands. Although it never made landfall, Sose was particularly expansive, producing a wide area of gale-force winds. The cyclone peaked in strength between April 7 and 8 with maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph) and 1-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph), placing it at Category 2 intensity on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Ultimately, stronger wind shear and an increasingly hostile upper-air pattern took their toll on the cyclone as it progressed due south; Sose lost tropical characteristics to the northeast of Norfolk Island by April 12. The extratropical remnants of Sose continued into the Tasman Sea. Occurring just two months after Cyclone Paula affected Vanuatu, Sose compounded the damage already done by the previous storm, especially to crops and farmlands. Throughout the island chain, two people lost their lives to the storm. Roadways were blocked by debris and floodwaters, while schools and classrooms on several islands were damaged or ruined. The storm destroyed about 200 homes around the nation and damaged many more, particularly on southern Espiritu Santo. The storm's large fetch generated enormous swells as far away as Australia's Eastern Seaboard, where surfers took advantage of the abnormally intense conditions and two swimmers drowned. On Maré Island in New Caledonia, a man was swept away by a large wave and presumed dead. The storm later produced torrential rainfall and strong winds over the North Island of New Zealand, sparking damaging freshwater floods and downing trees and power lines. Hazardous driving conditions in the Waikato region led to a fatal traffic accident in which three people died. Another individual drowned in a swollen river. Sose reportedly contributed to coastal flooding as far away as Tonga. In all, Sose killed nine people; total monetary damage is unknown. As a result of the storm's destruction, its name was later retired. ==Meteorological history== Cyclone Sose originated in a broad area of disturbed weather first identified on April 3, well to the east-northeast of Vanuatu. The system initially drifted generally toward the west under an improving upper-level wind shear pattern that began to catalyze favorable outflow. Late on October 4, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the disturbance, noting strong banding features and a well-defined low-level center of circulation. Tropical Depression 13F formed at 1200 UTC next day as examined by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), the local Regional Specialized Meteorological Center. At the time, the new cyclone was situated about to the northwest of Espiritu Santo.〔 The JTWC's official "best track" entry on the storm—designated 19P—first lists it as a tropical depression at 1800 UTC on April 4, though operationally, the agency did not issue its first tropical cyclone warning until late on April 5.〔 The storm proceeded slowly westward and gradually continued to organize, its intensification hindered by residual wind shear and its proximity to the mountainous terrain of Espiritu Santo.〔 However, convection over the center continued to develop, and consequently the FMS upgraded 13F to Tropical Cyclone Sose at 1800 UTC.〔 Sose remained nearly stationary for a period of 24 hours, blocked by a strong subtropical ridge to the south. Over the course of April 6, an approaching mid-level trough of low pressure created a weakness in the ridge, allowing Sose to accelerate southeastward.〔 The storm's environment steadily improved in both the lower and upper levels, triggering the consolidation of deep convection around the center. As a result, early on April 7, a central dense overcast formed.〔 According to the FMS, Sose reached its peak strength at 1800 UTC, with maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph) and a central barometric pressure of . The cyclone passed just to the west of the islands of Vanuatu as its outer bands contracted around the well-defined central dense overcast. A large feeder band persisted on the eastern side of the circulation, bridging the northwestern southeastern quadrants. The feature became a notable aspect of the cyclone's satellite presentation.〔〔 The JTWC estimated that 19P reached its peak intensity at 1200 UTC on April 8, possessing 1-minute sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and gusts up to 170 km/h (105 mph).〔 The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission imaged the storm shortly thereafter, and revealed a distinct eye about 44 km (27 mi) across, bounded on the southern semicircle by strong convection activity.〔 Sose made its closest approach to New Caledonia early on April 8, passing about 280 km (175 mi) to the northeast.〔 A strong area of high pressure over New Zealand served to tighten to surface pressure gradient well to the south of Sose's center, contributing to an overall very large envelope of gale-force winds.〔 In turn, the cyclone affected numerous islands on both side of its path, despite never having made landfall.〔 As it progressed on its southeastward track, the cyclone began to show signs of weakening, at least partially due to increasing wind shear from an approaching upper trough.〔 At the same time, a mid-level ridge to the east forced the storm to turn due south; the conflicting wind patterns undermined the cyclone's circulation, causing its center at the surface to separate from the deep convection.〔 Both the FMS and the JTWC reflected steady weakening,〔 and by early on April 10, the center had become exposed and ill-defined.〔 Sose then entered the area of responsibility of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Wellington, New Zealand, where it continued to deteriorate.〔 The JTWC issued its last warning on 19P at 0600 UTC on April 11, while the system was located about 335 km (210 mi) northeast of Norfolk Island.〔 TCWC Wellington soon downgraded Sose to a tropical depression as it underwent an extratropical transition. Drifting south-southwestward, the cyclone lost its tropical identity early on April 12.〔 The remnant low ultimately moved over the Tasman Sea, where it was absorbed by a broad low pressure system about to travel over New Zealand's North Island. Abundant residual tropical moisture acted on the low pressure environment to create widespread precipitation across northern New Zealand. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cyclone Sose」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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