 Cyclone Ron at peak intensity after recurving towards Tonga on January 5 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1, 1998 |
| Dissipated | January 9, 1998 |
| Category 5 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (FMS) | |
| Highest winds | 230 km/h (145 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 900 hPa (mbar); 26.58 inHg |
| Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NPMOC) | |
| Highest winds | 270 km/h (165 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | $566,000 (1998 USD) |
| Areas affected | Samoan Islands, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1997–98 South Pacific cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ron was a powerful tropical cyclone that became the strongest on record to impact Tonga. The system was first noted as a tropical depression, to the northeast of Samoa on January 1, 1998. Over the next day the system gradually developed further and was named Ron as it developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale during the next day. The system subsequently continued to move south-westwards and became a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, as it passed near Swains Island during January 3.
Intensification proceeded at a fairly rapid rate. Ron reached the peak intensity of 145 mph (225 km/h) on January 5, becoming one of the most intense cyclones in the Southern hemisphere in that decade, when Ron was at north-northwest of Apia, Samoa, three days after initial development. The cyclone maintained this strength for about 36 hours, while re-curving to the south-southeast. Then, Ron started weakening while passing between central Tonga and Niue on January 7. Finally, by January 9, Ron was absorbed by the much larger circulation of Severe Tropical Cyclone Susan.