Fiji Hurricanes

American Students Observations Visitations Discussed

IT is commonly thought that hurri canes are frequent in Fiji, but this is by no means true, according to a report made by an American student of Pacific hurricanes. Samoa and Tonga are much more often visited by destructive storms.

In America, in an area equal to Fiji, an average of 10 tornadoes annu ally take toll of 50 lives.

The real Fijian hurricane is distinct from the mere Pacific cyclonic gale. Oc curring most frequently in March, it ravages a belt of sometimes 100 miles, which comprises a great part of the colony.

They have been “explored” by ships caught in their path, and it has been found that the core or centre is from five to 25 miles in diameter, accord ing to the magnitude of the storm.

Their rate of approach is remarkably slow, often no more than 10 miles an hour, thus allowing steamers plenty of time to sail out of their path. Two inches of rain have been known to accompany a hurricane. The wind, blowing at a tremendous speed, con verges towards the core in a clock wise fashion.

Fiji has had only three first-class hurricanes in the last 60 years. A dozen storms of secondary magnitude have occurred in the half century, but have not extensively damaged the agricultural lands. Of the 40 remain ing “cyclonic gales,” none were worse than the frequent winter gale of nor thern Europe. The many flimsy build ings in Fiji prove the rarity of major hurricanes.

The islands are visited by tempests in the months of December, January February, March and April. Most of the storms enter the group from the north-east, often recurving within the islands, as a rule close to Levuka, and pass out at the south-east.