Tropical Cyclone Yasa intensified northwest of Fiji on Monday. At 10:00 p.m. EST on Monday the center of Tropical Cyclone Yasa was located at latitude 14.9°S and longitude 172.5°E which put it about 350 miles (565 km) west-northwest of Nadi, Fiji. Yasa was moving toward the northwest at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 961 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Yasa intensified into the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale northwest of Fiji on Monday. A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) developed at the center of Yasa. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of circulation. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence which pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Yasa. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center.

Tropical Cyclone Yasa will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Yasa will be over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C. It will be in a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Cyclone Yasa is likely to intensify into the equivalent of a major hurricane during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Cyclone Yasa will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system near the Equator. The high will steer Yasa toward the southeast during the next several days. On its anticipated track Tropical Cyclone Yasa could approach Fiji in 48 hours. Yasa is very likely to be the equivalent of a major hurricane when it approaches Fiji.

Elsewhere over the South Pacific Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Zazu continued to bring wind and rain to the Vava’u Group of Islands in Tonga. A weather station at Lupepau’u airport in Vava’u reported at sustained wind speed of 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and a wind gust of 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). At 10:00 p.m. EST on Monday the center of Tropical Cyclone Zazu was located at latitude 19.0°S and longitude 173.7°W which put it about 30 miles (50 km) south-southeast of Neiafu, Tonga. Zazu was moving toward the southeast at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 982 mb.