Terrible Tropical Cyclone Winston Slams Fiji

Photo shows Tropical Cyclone Winston just
beginning to batter Fiji on Friday.  

Tropical Cyclone Winston, the strongest such storm on record in the southern hemisphere, has just slammed the low lying Pacific Ocean nation of Fiji, in what is being described as a worst case scenario for the islands.

Winston packed winds of 185 mph as it roared over Fiji. It was a Category 5 storm, the worst possible.  Reports are just beginning to filter out of Fiji. As of 7 a.m. eastern time in the United States, we know of at least one fatality and widespread destruction.

The web site Stuff New Zealand reported that even before the full force of the storm hit, tourists on Fiji were reporting widespread power failures and roofs blown off buildings.

The tourists said they were especially concerned about local residents, who lived in flimsier houses than the sturdy hotels they were hunkered down in.

The epic Winston is the latest in what seems to be a trend of super tropical storms. Last October, Hurricane Patricia became the strongest hurricane on record in the northern hemisphere. 

Satellite view of Category 5 Tropical Cyclone
Winston, which is battering Fiji. 

A recently re-assessment of Patricia by the National Hurricane Center showed the maximum sustained winds in Patricia were 215 mph, which was 15 mph stronger than initially reported.

Even the 200 mph winds made it the strongest northern hemispher hurricane on record so 215 mph is pretty incredible.    

Overall, 2015 was the busiest year on record for tropical systems in the Pacific Ocean. This included several super typhoons in the eastern Pacific.

A super typhoon, which is a hurricane in the eastern Pacific, is defined as one having sustained winds of at least 150 mph. 

Here's a brief video of Winston in Fiji causing destruction even before the full force of the storm hit: