Essay --

During 26 December, the Fiji Meteorological Service's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Nadi, Fiji (TCWC Nadi), started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed within the Intertropical Convergence Zone about 575 km (355 mi) to the south-east of Nauru.[1][2] Over the next few days the depression gradually developed and organised further, as it moved towards the west-southwest under the influence of a north-easterly steering flow.[1][3] During 28 December, the JTWC classified the depression as Tropical Cyclone 05P, before TCWC Nadi reported that the system had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Rewa.[4][5][6] Over the next few days, the system gradually intensified under the influence of favourable upper-level winds while it moved towards the south-southwest, passing through the Solomon Islands on 29 December and affecting the southeastern islands of Papua New Guinea.[3][7] As it moved through the So lomon Islands, Rewa moved out of the South Pacific basin and into the Australian region, where the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane tropical cyclone warning centre (TCWC Brisbane) took the primary warning responsibility for the system.[4][8] On 30 December, the JTWC reported that Rewa had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale (SSHS); early the next day TCWC Brisbane reported that the system had developed into a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, and an eye became visible on satellite imagery.[1][2][5] The system then abruptly turned and started to move towards the south parallel to the Queensland coast because of an interaction with an upper-level trough of low pressure.[3][4] On 2 January both the JTWC and... ... a tropical storm while throughout that day TCWC Brisbane assessed Rewa as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone.[2][7] During the next day, TCWC Brisbane reported that Rewa had weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone as it recurved and started to move towards the south-east about 265 km (165 mi) to the east of Mackay, Queensland.[7][5] Over the next couple of days the system moved towards the south-southeast along the Queensland coast while maintaining its intensity.[5] During 21 January, TCWC Brisbane and the JTWC reported that Rewa had weakened below cyclone strength, as the system moved back into the South Pacific basin for the third and final time.[4][6] Rewa's remnants were last noted late on 23 January, by TCWC Wellington, bringing heavy rain to New Zealand, while dissipating over water about 400 km (250 mi) to the east of Wellington, New Zealand.[4][5][11]