Seven years (1979‐1985) of NMC data are used to analyze Southern Hemisphere middle stratosphere winter‐to‐summer circulation transitions. These transitions are classified into two extreme categories: 1) a mid‐October final warming accompanied by a major mid‐October wave event (1979 and 1982), and 2) a mid‐November final warming with no strong October wave event (1980 and 1981). After the final warming a wave event in late November‐early December results in the disappearance of the polar vortex. All of these wave events in conjunction with zonal mean mass motions act to reduce zonal mean gradients of potential vorticity and ozone through horizontal mixing, and hence they act to destroy the vortex and fill the ozone hole. Additionally, it is noted that the final warming and the vortex breakdown are two distinct events separated by 15‐40 days. Finally, past studies show that the time of these events has not ra