page_title: Cyclone Bola
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Bola / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: English: Cyclone Bolda (1988) track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The points show the location of each storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale Tropical depression&lt;39 mph&lt;63 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–117 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5&gt;156 mph&gt;251 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm typeTropical cycloneSubtropical cycloneExtratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance
context_page_description: Cyclone Bola was one of the costliest cyclones in the history of New Zealand, causing severe damage as an extratropical cyclone when it passed near the country in March 1988. It formed on February 24 to the north of Fiji, and tracking generally southwestward it reached hurricane-force winds near Vanuatu on February 28. The next day it generated peak wind velocities of 195 km/h, though it quickly weakened as it accelerated southward. On March 4, Bola transitioned into an extratropical storm, passing to the north of the North Island of New Zealand on March 8. It weakened further and was absorbed by a stationary trough near the South Island on March 12.
  The cyclone first affected Fiji, where it produced gale-force winds and strong waves. In Vanuatu, Bola dropped heavy rainfall, which destroyed two bridges and caused severe damage to islands in the group. Bola caused severe damage to the North Island of New Zealand, where heavy rainfall peaked at 917 mm in Gisborne Region. Damage totaled over $82 million. Three people were killed due to flooding, and hundreds were evacuated when a swollen river threatened Wairoa.
context_section_description: The system that was to become Severe Tropical Cyclone Bola was first noted during February 24, as a depression that had developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone about 850 km (530 mi) to the north-east of Nadi, Fiji. During that day the system moved south-westwards and passed about 260 km (160 mi) to the north of Nadi, Fiji, before it started to move north-westwards during February 25. The system was subsequently named Bola by the Fiji Meteorological Service during the next day, after it had become a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. The system subsequently moved south-westwards which meant that the islands of Maewo and Pentecost were threatened. However, as Bola moved further southwards it entered a region of light and variable wind during February 27, which along with an area of high pressure in the Tasman Sea blocked Bola's movement southwards. By this time Bola had become a category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, with wind speeds of between 95–110 km/h (60–70 mph) occurring near the centre. During February 28, the system became a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, as it performed a small clockwise loop, between the Shepherd Islands and Efate. After completing its first cyclonic loop during February 29, Bola started to move south-eastwards, before it performed a second cyclonic loop during the next day.
  As it completed its second cyclonic loop during March 2, the FMS reported that the system had peaked with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 165 km/h (105 mph), which made it a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center also reported that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 195 km/h (120 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
  After reaching peak intensity, Cyclone Bola quickly weakened as it accelerated southeastward toward a frontal trough. On March 3, its winds dropped below hurricane-force, and it gradually lost its tropical characteristics. The structure became asymmetric, with a large band of clouds extending well south of the circulation. By March 4, Bola had completed the transition into an extratropical cyclone. Which turned south and began to affect the North Island of New Zealand on March 6. A building ridge of high pressure to its south caused the extratropical remnants of Bola to slow and turn to the west on March 7. The next day, the storm passed about 110 km (70 mi) north of the North Island. Around the same time, the storm began slowly filling, meaning the low pressure area associated with Bola was losing its identity. It turned southward on March 9, and on March 12 was absorbed by a stationary trough in the Westerlies near the western coast of the South Island.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
exif: {}