 Cyclone Gita at peak intensity south of Fiji on 14 February | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 3 February 2018 |
| Extratropical | 19 February 2018 |
| Dissipated | 22 February 2018 |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (FMS) | |
| Highest winds | 205 km/h (125 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 927 hPa (mbar); 27.37 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 230 km/h (145 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 937 hPa (mbar); 27.67 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Damage | $253 million |
| Areas affected | Vanuatu, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, New Caledonia, Queensland, New Zealand |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita was the most intense tropical cyclone 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 3 February, 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 9 February near Samoa. Arcing south in a clockwise turn, the system rapidly intensified, and became a severe tropical cyclone on 10 February near Niue.
Throughout its path in the South Pacific, Cyclone Gita affected multiple island nations and territories. Tonga was the 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 those areas were minor. Total damage from Gita is estimated to be in excess of US$252 million, primarily in American Samoa and Tonga.