Cyclone Donna
Severe Tropical Cyclone Donna was the strongest off-season tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere at the time, since surpassed by Cyclone Lola in 2023. The twenty-first tropical disturbance, third named storm, and second severe tropical cyclone of the annual cyclone season, Donna formed from an area of disturbed weather that was first monitored west-northwest of Fiji on 1 May 2017. The disturbance drifted eastward amid an increasingly favourable environment, and it was designated Tropical Depression 21F late on 2 May. Twelve hours later, it intensified into a Category 1 on the Australian tropical cyclone scale and was designated Tropical Cyclone Donna as the storm's motion shifted west and then south. After reaching its initial peak as a Category 4 cyclone early on 6 May, the effects of wind shear and upwelling caused the storm to weaken. However, it reintensified into a Category 5 cyclone on 8 May. Soon after, Donna entered a region of strong westerly flow and began to rapidly weaken. Continuing to accelerate in a southerly direction, Donna eventually weakened into a tropical low on 10 May. By 16 May, Donna's remnants had fully dissipated.
Category 5 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
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Category 4 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
Cyclone Donna north of New Caledonia at peak intensity on 8 May | |
Formed | 1 May 2017 |
Dissipated | 16 May 2017 |
(Extratropical after 10 May) | |
Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 230 km/h (145 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 935 hPa (mbar); 27.61 inHg |
Fatalities | 2 total |
Damage | $10 million (2017 USD) |
Areas affected | Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, New Zealand |
Part of the 2016–17 South Pacific cyclone season |
Buffeting the island chain of Vanuatu, Donna has resulted in severe damage throughout the northern provinces, though the exact extent is unknown in the absence of good communication.