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Cyclone Winston

The effects of a tropical storm

On 20 February 2016, Cyclone Winston battered the Pacific islands of Fiji with winds of 300 kph, heavy rain and waves of up to 12 metres in height. It was the most severe cyclone ever to hit Fiji and has been recorded as the worst-ever storm in the southern hemisphere

The archipelago of Fiji consists of over 300 islands and has a population of less than 1 million, spread over 100 islands. This made responding to the effects of the cyclone very challenging.

Fiji is located in the Pacific Ocean (Figure 1). The Pacific is a relatively warm ocean and tropical storms only develop over water which has a temperature of 27°C or above. The heat from the water provides energy for the storm to develop. Tropical storms usually develop in the summer and autumn when sea temperatures are at their highest.

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