Overall Red alert Tropical Cyclone for GITA-18
in Tonga

Event summary

Tropical Cyclone GITA-18 can have a high humanitarian impact based on the maximum sustained wind speed, exposed population and vulnerability.

GDACS ID TC 1000436
Name GITA-18
From - To 09 Feb - 19 Feb
Exposed countries Tonga
Exposed population 80 thousand in Category 1 or higher
Maximum wind speed 231 km/h Category 4
Maximum storm surge 0.8 m (12 Feb 11:00 UTC)
Vulnerability Medium (Tonga)

GDACS Score

For more info on GDACS alert score click here.
Wind Storm surge Rainfall GDACS score
GDACS JTWC 102 km/h 1.6 m n.a. 0.5
Single TC: maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge, rainfall)
HWRF 155 km/h 1 m n.a. 0.5
GFS 135 km/h 1 m n.a. 0.5
ECMWF 94 km/h 0.5 m n.a. 0.5
Maximum expected impact (wind, storm surge and rainfall) using different data sources.
Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

Latest media headlines

Eastern Taranaki facing another week without power 2/23/2018 4:34:00 AM.

He said overgrown trees had to be cleared before sections of the network could be rebuilt. "Due to the scale of the damage, there are areas that will take at least another week to rebuild. Major construction projects are needed in some of t
...(more)
Power could be out in eastern Taranaki for another week 2/23/2018 3:15:00 AM.

Remote areas of Taranaki may be left without power and water for another week. While electricity has been restored to most of the 26,000 properties that were hit with power cuts during ex-cyclone Gita on Tuesday, some parts of Taranaki are
...(more)
Lui Tamoto, 49 Saleaumua, Aleipata 2/22/2018 11:57:00 PM.

In the wake of Cyclone Gita, one Pastor has claimed that the cyclone was a mild warning from God to the government over their decision to tax pastors. What do you think? Samoa Observer reporter, Nefertiti Matatia, asked members of the publi
...(more)
'Devastated': Motueka Valley's raging river of logs and mud 2/22/2018 9:07:00 AM.

Videos have emerged of a river of mud and logs streaming through a property in the Motueka Valley, ravaged by former Cyclone Gita. Footage filmed in Woodstock shows floodwaters carrying the huge logs and debris along at breakneck pace. The
...(more)

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Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Analytical products

Tropical Cyclone GITA in Tonga and Fiji - UPDATE - JRC Emergency report

13/Feb/2018 14:49 UTC

The first JRC Emergency Report related to this event was prepared on 12 February; the current report is an update of the situation and includes only the new information. The eye of the Tropical Cyclone GITA passed south of the islands of Eua and Tongatapu (Tonga) on 12 February morning (UTC) as an intense Tropical Cyclone with max. sustained winds of 230 km/h . Very strong winds, heavy rains and storm surge affected the islands of Eua, Tongatapu, including the capital Nuku’alofa. On 13 February morning (UTC), it passed south of Ono-I-Lau (Lau islands, Fiji), still with max. sustained winds of 210-220 km/h. Over the next 24 h, GITA is forecast to continue moving west passing approx 200 km south of Kandavu island (Fiji) on 13 February (evening) and it will start turning south-west on 14 February, moving away from Fiji and Tonga. Tonga (Tongatapu and Eua): 1 fatality, 3 serious and 30 minor injuries, 3 939 people evacuated inside 48 evacuation centers, several buildings damaged, including the parliament building, flooded roads and the airport is currently closed. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated ( EMSR269) on 12 February for the west part of Tonga, in coordination with other international initiatives (i.e. UNOSAT, Charter of Major Disasters). The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is following the event through the information automatically collected and analysed in the Global Disasters Alerts and Coordination System (GDACS), providing situation maps and compiling this report. GDACS issued a RED alert for TC GITA in Tonga on 11 February, 24h in advance to the landfall. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is closely monitoring the situation, in coordination with a DG ECHO field expert who is being deployed to the region.

Tropical Cyclone GITA in Tonga - JRC Emergency report

12/Feb/2018 14:45 UTC

Tropical Cyclone GITA passed near the islands of Eua and Tongatapu on 12 February morning (UTC), as an intense Tropical Cyclone with max. sustained winds of 230 km/h. Very strong winds, heavy rains and storm surge affected the islands of Eua and Tongatapu, including the capital Nuku’alofa. Over the next 24 h, GITA is forecast to continue moving west, passing near Ono-I-Lau island (Lau islands, Fiji) on 13 February morning (UTC), still as an intense Tropical Cyclone. Very strong winds , heavy rains and storm surge could also affect the southern Lau islands, especially Ono-I-Lau and Vatoa. The government of Tonga has declared a state of emergency. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is following the event through the information automatically collected and analysed in the Global Disasters Alerts and Coordination System (GDACS). GDACS issued a RED alert for TC GITA in Tonga on 11 February, providing situation maps and compiling this report.

Daily Maps:

28/Feb/2018 07:04 UTC

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EMSR (2), UNOSAT (1), EC-JRC (38), (2), WMO (1), INFORM (2),