List of retired South Pacific cyclone names

Tropical cyclones are non-frontal, low-pressure systems that develop, within an environment of warm sea surface temperatures and little vertical wind shear aloft.^[1] Within the South Pacific, names are assigned from a pre-determined list, to such systems, once they reach or exceed ten-minute sustained wind speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph), near the center, by either the Fiji Meteorological Service or New Zealand's MetService.^[1] Within the South Pacific, tropical cyclones have been officially named since the 1964–65 South Pacific cyclone season, though a few meteorological papers show that a few tropical cyclones were named before 1964–65.^[2]^[3]^[4] The names of significant tropical cyclones that have caused a high amount of damage and/or caused a significant number of deaths are retired from the lists of tropical cyclone names by the World Meteorological Organization's RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee at their bi-annual meeting.^[1]

Within the South Pacific, there have been a total of 117 tropical cyclone names retired. The most intense tropical cyclone to have its name retired was Winston, which had an estimated peak pressure of 884 hPa (26.1 inHg). The deadliest tropical cyclone to have its name retired was Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu, which caused over 100 deaths, when it affected the Solomon Islands in May 1986. The most damaging system was Yasi which caused over US$2.5 billion in damage to Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Australia in January and February 2011.

^ ^a ^b ^c RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (2023). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2023 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
^ Terry, James P. (2007). "3.4". Tropical cyclones: climatology and impacts in the South Pacific. Springer. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-387-71542-1.
^ Callaghan, Jeff (August 12, 2004). "Tropical Cyclone Impacts along the Australian east coast from November to April 1858–2000" (PDF). Bureau of Meteorology. Australian Severe Weather. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
^ Tropical cyclones in Vanuatu: 1847 to 1994 (PDF) (Report). Vanuatu Meteorological Service. May 19, 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.

[SPAC_TCOP-1] RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (2023). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2023 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved October 23, 2023.

[SPAC-2] Terry, James P. (2007). "3.4". Tropical cyclones: climatology and impacts in the South Pacific. Springer. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-387-71542-1.

[3] Callaghan, Jeff (August 12, 2004). "Tropical Cyclone Impacts along the Australian east coast from November to April 1858–2000" (PDF). Bureau of Meteorology. Australian Severe Weather. Retrieved March 5, 2010.

[Vanuatu-4] Tropical cyclones in Vanuatu: 1847 to 1994 (PDF) (Report). Vanuatu Meteorological Service. May 19, 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]