page_title: Cyclone Winston
section_title: Other South Pacific nations
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Winston / Impact / Other South Pacific nations
caption_attribution_description: English: Rough seas produced by the remnants of Cyclone Winston along the shores of Gold Coast, Queensland.
context_page_description: Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere on record, as well as the strongest to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere, with the possible exception of 1899's Cyclone Mahina in both regards. Winston is also the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the South Pacific basin. The system was first noted as a tropical disturbance on 7 February 2016, when it was located to the northwest of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Over the next few days, the system gradually developed as it moved southeast, acquiring gale-force winds by 11 February. The following day, it underwent rapid intensification and attained ten-minute maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h. Less favourable environmental conditions prompted weakening thereafter. After turning northeast on 14 February, Winston stalled to the north of Tonga on 17 February. Due to a change in higher level steering, the storm drifted back to the west. In the process, Winston again rapidly intensified, reaching Category 5 intensity on both the Australian tropical cyclone scale and the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale on 19 February.
context_section_description: Impacting Tonga twice within the span of a few days, Winston caused significant damage across northern Tonga. Approximately 2,500 people sought refuge in shelters. The first passage of the storm resulted in mostly crop damage while the second brought greater structural damage. At least 10 homes were destroyed and 200 more were damaged. Agriculture sustained significant damage, with 85–95 percent of the banana crop and most of the vanilla crop on Vava'u lost. Winston also affected Niue on 16 February; the FMS also issued tropical cyclone and damaging heavy swell warnings for the island nation.
  The nation of Tonga also received money and aid as well as medical supplies from New Zealand, which also provided 8,000 people with clean water. Australia also provided assistance to Tonga, including the distribution of A$300,000 worth of humanitarian supplies through the Tonga Red Cross Society, two surveillance and assessment aircraft, and two disaster management experts from the Australian Civilian Corps to aid in relief efforts.
  Large swells—up to 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) in height—from the remnants of Winston affected southern Queensland, Australia. Beaches at Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast were closed on 26 and 27 February due to dangerous conditions. At least 15 people sustained injuries, ranging from dislocated shoulders to broken legs, due to rough conditions. A bodyboarder was reported missing near Tallebudgera; a helicopter search failed to locate anyone and the search was called off until a missing person report was filed. Severe storms on 29 February associated with the outer bands of Winston's remnants brought locally heavy rains to parts of Queensland. 106 mm (4.2 in) of rain fell in Garbutt, while 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain was observed in Townsville in the space of 1 hour. On 3 March heavy rain began to fall in north Queensland as Winston's remnants moved ashore near Cairns. Accumulations reached 215 mm (8.5 in) in the small town of Feluga.
caption: Large swells in Gold Coast, Queensland, injured multiple people and prompted the closure of beaches
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