 Ula at peak intensity southeast of Vanuatu on January 10 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 26, 2015 |
| Extratropical | January 12, 2016 |
| Dissipated | January 16, 2016 |
| Category 4 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (FMS) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 944 hPa (mbar); 27.88 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 220 km/h (140 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 933 hPa (mbar); 27.55 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Missing | 1 (presumed dead) |
| Damage | Minimal |
| Areas affected | |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ula was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone during late December 2015 and mid-January 2016. It originated from a tropical disturbance on December 26, 2015, east of the Solomon Islands. Moving generally east, development was initially slow and the system finally reached cyclone strength—having gale-force winds—on December 30. The newly christened Tropical Cyclone Ula turned sharply south and rapidly intensified, attaining hurricane strength the following day. A shift to the southwest brought the system close to the northern islands of Tonga on January 2, 2016. It subsequently brushed several islands in the Lau Group of Fiji before weakening. Nearly degrading to a tropical depression, Ula turned to the northwest and regained strength. After turning back to the southwest, it achieved its peak intensity as a Category 4 on the Australian scale with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on January 10. Thereafter, the storm bypassed Vanuatu to the southeast and New Caledonia to the east as it accelerated southward.
Throughout its existence, Ula affected several nations but its effects were largely limited, with only localized areas reporting damage. Dozens of structures were damaged or destroyed in Tuvalu while crops in Tonga, Fiji, and Vanuatu were impacted. No fatalities have been attributed to the storm, though one person was swept out to sea in American Samoa and was not found. Residents across the Lau Islands of Fiji required food security due to crop losses.