Tropical Cyclone Heta [1]
Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 15:19. Updated on Sunday, May 11, 2014 - 10:56.
The first Cyclone to threaten Tonga in 2004 moved away from the southern islands of Tongatapu yesterday to the south east after passing on a track that took it south from Tuvalu passing between Samoa and Tonga, but close to the northern island of Niuatoputapu.
As it approached southern Tonga on January 4 the cyclone had winds of 100 knots gusting to 145 knots within 30 miles of its centre with phenomenal seas. Gale force winds extended out to about 180 nautical miles from its centre.
The Tonga Meteorological Department at 3.40 p.m. on January 6 cancelled all Tropical Cyclone alerts for the Tonga islands. Their map of Heta's track during the past two days shows it moving away to the southeast.