The 1998–99 South Pacific cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It began on November 1, 1998 and ended on April 30, 1999. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the southern Pacific Ocean east of 160°E. Additionally, the regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" runs from July 1, to June 30.[1] This was the first season in which RSMC Nadi assigned the letter F to distrubances forming in their AOR.[2]
South Pacific tropical cyclones are usually assigned names by the RSMC in Nadi, or Fiji Meteorological Service. As soon as a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone it is named by the warning centre having responsibility for it at that time. If a tropical depression becomes a tropical cyclone in the Wellington RSMC area of responsibility, MetService, in consultation with RSMC Nadi, will name the cyclone by using the next name from the list.[3]
