page_title: Cyclone Hola
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Hola / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: English: Track map of Severe Tropical Cyclone Hola of the 2017-18 South Pacific cyclone season. The points show the location of the storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir–Simpson scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm, according to the legend below. Saffir–Simpson scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm type Tropical cyclone Subtropical cyclone Extratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance / Monsoon depression
context_page_description: Severe Tropical Cyclone Hola was a strong tropical cyclone which affected Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Forming as a broad tropical disturbance on 5 March, the system slowly consolidated over the next few days before developing into a tropical cyclone on 6 March. Afterwards, a pinhole eye began to emerge and rapid intensification ensued.
context_section_description: During March 3, 2018 the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) reported that Tropical Disturbance 09F had developed within a trough of low pressure about 230 km (145 mi) to the northeast of Nadi, Fiji. At this time the disturbance had a broad low-level circulation and was located within a very favourable environment for further development, with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. Over the next couple of days, the disturbance gradually developed further as it gradually moved westwards towards Vanuatu, under the influence of a subtropical ridge of high pressure. It was subsequently classified as a tropical depression by the FMS during March 5, before the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) subsequently issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the system later that day.
  During March 6, the JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 12P, after its broad low-level circulation center had slowly consolidated and the overall organisation of the cyclone had improved. The FMS subsequently reported that the system had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Hola, while it was located about 80 km (50 mi) to the east of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. After it was named, Hola started developing a weak low level eye feature, before it was classified as a category 2 tropical cyclone as it passed in between the islands of Pentecost and Ambrym. The system subsequently passed over the island of Malekula and moved into the Coral Sea during March 7, where it rapidly consolidated and developed a 10 km (5 mi) pinhole eye. The FMS subsequently reported that Gita had become a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone and predicted that Hola would peak as a Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone. However, during the following day Hola's eye weakened and became cloud filled, as it stalled to the west of Vanuatu. As a result, the FMS reported that the system had peaked as a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone with 10-minute sustained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph). During March 8, the JTWC also reported that Hola had peaked with 1-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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