2016 South Pacific cyclone season
Cyclone Winston 2016
Winston changed direction several times before turning west and striking Fiji at Category 5 strength. The cyclone destroyed homes and disrupted communications across many islands.
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178 mph
Feb 20, 2016 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
A reversal toward Fiji
Winston developed near Vanuatu and initially moved southeastward. It strengthened, weakened and then turned northeast toward Tonga, where it stalled to the north on February 17. A change in the steering winds sent the cyclone back westward and allowed renewed rapid intensification.
Winston crossed Vanua Balavu and continued toward Viti Levu. Archived sustained winds reached 155 knots on February 20, shortly before the cyclone's passage across Fiji's largest island. A gust of 306 kilometers per hour was recorded on Vanua Balavu.
Widespread destruction across Fiji
Winston killed 44 people in Fiji and damaged or destroyed about 40,000 homes. Roughly 350,000 residents were significantly affected. Communications failed with several islands, leaving some isolated for more than two days after the storm.
Damage was estimated at FJ$2.98 billion, approximately US$1.4 billion. Fiji declared a state of emergency, and international relief teams supplied transport, shelter materials and other aid. Winston later weakened away from Fiji and lost its tropical structure on February 24.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Winston in brief
What was Cyclone Winston's highest wind speed?
178 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Feb 20, 2016, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Cyclone Winston?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Feb 19, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Cyclone Winston's lowest pressure?
907 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Feb 20, 2016, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Cyclone Winston occur?
The archived track runs from Feb 9, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC to Feb 28, 2016, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Feb 10, 2016, 12:00 AM UTC to Feb 24, 2016, 03:00 PM UTC.
Where did Cyclone Winston form?
In the South Pacific basin, in the 2016 season. Its first archived position is 13.6°S, 169.5°E on Feb 9, 2016, 06:00 PM UTC.
Did Cyclone Winston make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 170 mph on Feb 20, 2016, 09:00 AM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology