It is rare for a powerful tropical cyclone to hit Tonga.
Atmosphere Severe Storms
The cyclone spun southeastward across the South Pacific, threading the islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Atmosphere Water Severe Storms
Severe Storms
Clouds from Tropical Cyclone Irina cover most of Madagascar and part of the Mozambique Channel in this image from March 1, 2012.
Image of the Day Atmosphere Water
The well-formed storm was skirting Fiji and moving towards Tonga when this image was taken on January 9, 2014.