Hi Rob,

Yes, all fine here.

The average for the tropical South Pacific (roughly East Australian Coast to the Marquesas) is 8 TC/year, but the definition of a TC is also different here-a cyclonic system with an outflow of gale force winds IN ANY QUADRANT. Thus, we can, and do, have TC's with 28 knot winds in three quadrants, but gale force in the third, that get named.

This year we're forecasted to have below that. Lots of water, little land. When you read 'TC hits Fiji', odds are high that a good part of the country doesn't see anything of note because the country covers such a large quantity of water, but rather one of the urban centres got hit. Ditto all of the other island countries.

The TCs that form in the Coral Sea generally go SW (also unlike Jasmine, which formed very close to Queensland). Your friends in New Cal should be ok, but having some strong winds and rain.

best,
Michael