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Nuku’alofa recorded 31mm of rain - its second highest rainfall recorded in 24-hours for the month, which caused all Government Primary Schools in Tongatapu to cancel classes today.

Nuku’alofa received heavy rainfall today, a welcome relief to residents after months of enduring unusually dry weather and little rainfall. For the last seven months since June, Tonga has experienced below average rainfall.

Tonga's Meteorology Department is warning that current weather conditions indicate that Tonga could suffer a tropical cyclone this summer.

Tropical Cyclone Kofi brought heavy rain and gusts of up to 48 knots (90kmph) to Tongatapu early this morning as the system moved to the southwest of Tonga. The Fua‘amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre has downgraded the cyclone warning this morning, while a gales warning remains in force for Tonga waters, with an extreme high tide advisory continuing for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

A Tropical Cyclone Warning is now in force for Vava‘u, Ha‘apai, Tongatapu and 'Eua as Tropical Depression 15F approaches Tonga and is forecast to become a Category 1- 2 cyclone as it moves through southern Tonga on Saturday and Sunday. On its current track and if the depression continues to intensify, the centre is expected to lie about 290km west-northwest of Nomuka or 265km northwest of Nuku'alofa at 7:00pm this evening. Latest forecast at 9:00am from Fua'amotu TCWC.

Nuku'alofa has been sweltering under the hottest temperatures for the year this week, during the sun's overpass of Tonga's latitudes. Monday, February 10 is so far the hottest day for the year in Nuku'alofa reaching a maximum temperature of 33 celcius, but not as hot as the record 33.4 celcius on exactly the same day in 2009.

No deaths, injuries, missing persons or missing vessels were reported in Tonga by this afternoon as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian, now category 4, with its centre packing punches from 194-268km/hr gusts, weaved its way between the Vava‘u and Ha‘apai groups today, passing close to the exposed small outlying island communities of Mo‘unga‘one and Muitoa, whose fate remains unknown. However, the powerful cyclone that intensified to category 5 last night has surprised storm-watchers by letting Vava‘u off lightly without the expected destruction.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian is closing in on Vava‘u tonight with huge gusts and heavy rain sweeping the group, and much worse to come, with “phenomenal seas” and very destructive 90-125 knots gusts predicted before dawn. At midnight, Vava‘u residents said the gusts were getting much stronger. In its 12:30am advisory for Saturday January 11, Fua‘amotu TCWC stated that the Category 4 cyclone was located about 125km northwest of Hunga (VV) and 125km northwest of Longomapu (VV) or about 210km north-northwest of Lifuka at 10:00pm and moving southeast at 5 knots.

A crowd of around 200 New Year's visitors remain onshore at Tonga’s remote Niuatoputapu Island today, as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian is expected to track across the ferry route between Niuatoputapu and southern Tonga, intensifying into a Category 4 storm over the next two days.