Cyclone Martin (1997)

Meteorological history

On October 27, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) began monitoring a weak tropical disturbance that had developed to the north of the Northern Cook Islands. At this stage, the system's weak low-level circulation was moving west-southwestwards, while atmospheric convection surrounding the disturbance was unorganized and being affected by strong upper-level northeasterly winds. Over the next three days, the system's organisation only slightly improved its organization, as it moved south-southwest and was impacted by moderate to strong vertical wind shear. During October 30, the United States Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC) initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 04P, before it started to rapidly develop and show marked signs of improved organisation during the following day. As a result of this rapid development the FMS reported during October 31, that the system had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Martin. At this time, the system was located just to the north of the Northern Cook Island of Pukapuka, where winds were estimated at 110 km/h (70 mph) and a pressure of 997 hPa (29.44 inHg) was reported.

After it had been named, Martin continued to intensify and started to move south-southeastwards, as it recurved in response to an intensifying mid-tropospheric westerly flow. Over the next couple of days, the system moved south-eastwards towards a weakness in the upper-level subtropical ridge of high pressure and intensified into a category 3 severe tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds during November 1. During the following day, Martin passed about 150 km (95 mi) to the south of Manihiki in the Northern Cook Islands, before it developed a 17 km (11 mi) eye and moved towards French Polynesia. During November 3, as the system passed near Bellingshausen, Mopelia and Scilly, the FMS reported that Martin had peaked as a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 155 km/h (100 mph). Later that day, the NPMOC reported that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Martin subsequently started to gradually weaken, as it started to interact with a frontal system and transition into an extratropical cyclone. The system then passed over 250 km (155 mi) to the south of Tahiti during November 4, before it weakened below tropical cyclone intensity during November 5. Martin was subsequently last noted during November 8, while it was located over 1,800 km (1,120 mi) to the southeast of Adamstown in the Pitcairn Islands.