Publication Date February 21, 2016 | The Conversation

Winston strikes Fiji: your guide to cyclone science

Fiji
Tropical Cyclone Winston nears Fiji on February 20, 2016. Image: NASA Goddard Rapid Response/NOAA
Tropical Cyclone Winston nears Fiji on February 20, 2016. Image: NASA Goddard Rapid Response/NOAA

Winston was a Category 5 cyclone (the strongest rating) with reported wind speeds of almost 300 km per hour. This would make it among the strongest cyclones ever to make landfall globally, and the strongest recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.