Cyclone Hettie (2009)

Cyclone Hettie (2009)

The 2008–09 South Pacific cyclone season began on December 1, 2008 with the formation of Tropical Disturbance 01F. This was 30 days after the season had officially begun on November 1, 2008. The season officially ended on April 30, 2009. Tropical cyclones that were between 160°E and 120°W and north of 25°S were monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service. Those that moved south of 25°S were monitored by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Wellington, New Zealand.

During the season, there were 15 Tropical Disturbances with 12 of them intensifying into Tropical Depressions, which were monitored by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in Nadi, Fiji, which is a part of the Fiji Meteorological Service. Only five of the Tropical Depressions intensified into Tropical Cyclones which were named Hettie, Innis, Joni, Ken, and Lin. Both Cyclone Innis and Cyclone Hettie had peak wind speeds of 75 km/h (45 mph) which made them Category One cyclones on the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale, whilst Cyclone Ken had wind speeds of 95 km/h (60 mph). Cyclones Joni and Lin had peak wind speeds of 100 km/h (65 mph) and 110 km/h, (70 mph) respectively which made them Category 2 cyclones. Cyclone Jasper also moved into the region from the Australian basin at its peak wind speeds of 100 km/h (65 mph) which made it a Category Two cyclone. For the first time since the 1994-95 tropical cyclone season there were no tropical cyclones that developed into a Severe Tropical Cyclone, which have winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph).