Furious Winds and Parched Islands

The modern understanding of climate extremes in the vast Pacific Ocean has been hampered by an incomplete picture of the incidence of such extremes in the past. For the first time in this book is given a largely complete account of extreme events – tropical cyclones (hurricanes) and droughts – culled from a myriad of sources, ranging from whalers’ logs to missionary diaries, as far back in time as written records extend. This book is an essential reference for anyone interested in the nature and recurrence times of climate extremes in the Pacific Ocean. It also provides fascinating insights into the historical impacts of extreme events on often highly vulnerable island populations and livelihoods and, in doing so, underscores their continuing vulnerability as they confront 21st-century climate change.