Cyclone Gita

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita is a strong tropical cyclone that was the most intense to impact Tonga
since reliable records began. The second named storm and first major tropical cyclone of the 2017–
18 South Pacific cyclone season, Gita originated from a monsoon trough that was active in the South
Pacific in early February 2018. First classified as a tropical disturbance on February 3, the nascent
system meandered near Vanuatu for several days with little development. After acquiring a steady
east trajectory near Fiji, it organized into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on February 9 near Samoa.
Arcing south in a clockwise turn, the system rapidly intensified and became a severe tropical cyclone
on February 10 near Niue.

Throughout its path in the South Pacific, Cyclone Gita affected multiple island nations and territories.
Tonga was hardest-hit with severe damage occurring on the islands of Tongatapu and ʻEua; two
fatalities and forty-one injuries occurred in the kingdom. At least 171 homes were destroyed and
more than 1,100 suffered damage. Violent winds destroyed homes and left the two islands largely
without power. Torrential rains and damaging winds caused widespread disruptions in Samoa and
American Samoa, prompting emergency declarations in both. Outlying islands in the Fijian Lau
Islands were significantly affected, particularly Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa. Wallis and Futuna, Niue, and
Vanuatu were also affected but impacts in these areas were minor.

Meteorological history

On February 3, 2018, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor Tropical Disturbance
07F, which had developed within a trough of low pressure, about 435 km (270 mi) to the southeast
of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.[1][2] The system was poorly organised and was located along an
upper-level ridge of high pressure in an area of high vertical wind shear.[2] Over the next couple of
days the system moved erratically near northern Vanuatu and remained poorly organised, with
atmospheric convection located to the south of the low level circulation.[3] The system
subsequently started to move south-eastwards, towards the Fijian Islands and a favourable
environment for further development during February 5.[4] The system subsequently passed near
the island nation during February 8, where it developed into a tropical depression and started to
move north-eastwards towards the Samoan Islands.[5][6] During February 9, the United States Joint
Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical
Cyclone 09P, after an ASCAT image showed that it had winds of 65–75 km/h (40–45 mph) in its
northern semi-circle.[7] The FMS subsequently named the system Tropical Cyclone Gita early, after
the United States National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Pago Pago requested that
the system be named early for warning and humantarian reasons.[8]

After Gita was named, a prolonged period of rapid intensification ensued as it quickly intensified into
a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, before it passed
within 100 km (60 mi) of Samoa and American Samoa. After moving past the Samoan Islands, Gita
turned southeast, then southwards, under the influence of a near-equatorial ridge to the
northeast.[9] On February 10, Gita rapidly intensified to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the
Australian scale[10] while traversing anomalously warm sea surface temperatures of between 82–84
°F (28–29 °C).[11] On February 11, Gita continued to intensify into a category 4 severe tropical
cyclone.[12] At the same time, Gita turned westward under the influence of a subtropical ridge to
the south.[9] At approximately 10:00 UTC (23:00 TOT) on February 11, the cyclone passed about 30
km (20 mi) south of Tongatapu near its peak intensity, as a powerful Category 4 cyclone on both
scales; the RSMC Nadi-based Australian scale and the JTWC-used Saffir–Simpson scale, with
maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 200 km/h (120 mph). At the same time, the Joint Typhoon
Warning Center estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds at 230 km/h (145 mph).[13] This made
Gita the strongest cyclone to strike Tonga in its recorded history.[14]

Current storm information

As of 09:00 FST February 16 (21:00 UTC February 16), Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita was located near
24.6°S 167.0°E. 10-minute sustained winds were at 120 km/h (75 mph), while 1-minute sustained
winds were at 135 km/h (85 mph), with gusts of up to 165 km/h (105 mph). The minimum
barometric pressure was 973 hectopascals (28.73 inHg), and the system is moving west-
southwestwards at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph).

For latest official information, see:

The FMS's disturbance advisory on Severe Tropical Cyclone 07F (Gita)

The FMS's TC forecast track map on Severe Tropical Cyclone 07F (Gita)

The JTWC's TC warning text on Tropical Cyclone 09P (Gita)

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Gita