User:FourNoddlers/Cyclone Tui

On January 25, both the FMS and the NPMOC reported that Tropical Depression 16P, had developed about 360 km (225 mi) to the northwest of Apia, Samoa.^[1][2][3] During that day, as the depression moved towards the southeast it gradually intensified further before at 2100 UTC, the FMS reported that the depression had intensified into a category one tropical cyclone, and named it as Tui, while it was located about 80 km (50 mi) to the northwest of Apia.^[1] After it was named, Tui passed over the Samoan Islands of Upolu and Savai'i, before at 0600 UTC, both the FMS and the NPMOC reported that Tui had peaked with 10 and 1 minute sustained windspeeds of 75 km/h (45 mph).^[3] After it had crossed Samoa, the system remained near stationary, just to the south of Samoa, before early on January 27 both the NPMOC and the FMS, reported that Tui had weakened into a depression and issued their final advisories.^[1][3][4] After Tui was downgraded to a depression, a weak circulation remained in the vicinity of the Samoan islands for several days, before it possibly redeveloped into Tropical Cyclone Wes.^[1][5]

Ahead of Tui affecting the Samoan islands, Polynesian Airlines and Samoa Air cancelled all of their flights to the islands.^[6]

Large crop losses and some infrastructure damage were reported in American Samoa and Western Samoa after gale-force wind gusts, heavy rain and rough seas brought down power lines, trees and other debris.^[7][8] On the Western Samoan island of Savai'i, a young boy was killed when he stepped into an electrified puddle of water.^[1]