Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 1. Physical Setting of the Islands
Draft 1 March 2007
The inferred mean annual rainfall on Birnie was 60 to 80 cm (0.6 to 0.8 m) per year (Garnett
1983a). The prevailing winds were the easterly trades.
ENDERBURY
Wind - The prevailing winds vary from northeast to southeast (Hydrographic Office 1940).
Rain - Very little rain falls on Enderbury, however, it rained heavily in the immediate vicinity
of the island (Hydrographic Office 1916).
Enderbury experiences frequent, but brief rain squalls (Hydrographic Office 1940).
Bryan (1941 and 1942) classified the 5 northern Phoenix Islands (including Enderbury) as
dry islands with average annual rainfall not exceeding 64 cm (25 inches).
Mean annual rainfall on Enderbury was inferred at 60 cm (0.6 m) per year (Stoddart 1976;
see also Garnett 1983a).
MANRA (SYDNEY)
Wind - The winds are primarily easterly (Hydrographic Office 1940; see also Garnett 1983).
Rain - Wiens (1962) reported that Manra (Sydney) annual rainfall was 105 cm (41.41 inches)
per year.
Average annual rainfall for Manra (Sydney) was about 102 cm (40 inches) per year (Knudsen
1965).
There was a severe drought in 1938 when settlers first came to Manra (Sydney) (Knudsen
1965).
Manra (Sydney) had a mean annual rainfall of 98.5 cm (38.8 inches) (based on data from
1948 to 1949, and 1952 to 1961) with the highest annual rainfall of 184.6 cm (72.7 inches),
and lowest annual rainfall of 46.3 cm (18.2 inches) (Fosberg and Stoddart 1994).
Garnett (1983) reported that the inferred mean annual rainfall on Manra (Sydney) was 100
cm (39.4 inches) (see also Stoddart 1976). Garnett (1983a) noted that Manra (Sydney)
suffered from period and severe droughts.
MCKEAN
Wind - The winds are easterly (Hydrographic Office 1940; see also Garnett 1983).
Rainfall - Bryan (1941 and 1942) classified the 5 northern Phoenix Islands (including
McKean) as dry islands with average annual rainfall not exceeding 64 cm (25 inches).
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