Strong upper level winds blew the upper portion of the circulation east of the surface circulation of Tropical Cyclone Zena as it passed south of Fiji.  At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Cyclone Zena was located at latitude 21.5°S and longitude 176.0°W which put it about 60 miles (95 km) west of Nuku’ Alofa, Tonga.  Zena was moving toward the east-southeast at 36 m.p.h. (58 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 988 mb.

Although Tropical Cyclone Zena briefly reached hurricane/typhoon intensity on Tuesday, it always consisted of a very small circulation which was very susceptible to vertical wind shear.  When an upper level ridge northeast of Zena increased west-northwesterly winds over the top of the tropical cyclone, those winds blew the upper portion of the circulation east of the center. The circulation of Zena lost its vertical integrity and it was difficult to find a well defined center of circulation at the surface by late Wednesday.  The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Zena are on a trend of rapid weakening.  The vertical wind shear is expected to continue and Zena could dissipate within 24 to 36 hours while it passes south of Niue.