Tropical Cyclone Pat has formed just south of Manihiki Atoll in the northern Cook Islands around 1:pm FST (0100 UTC) on 8th February 2010.
The system (08F) originated between Samoa and northern Cooks yesterday and had gone through a rapid intensification process in the last 12 hours, forcing its declaration as a tropical cyclone within a short period. It is currently moving southeast at 10 knots.
TC Pat is presently a Category 1 cyclone with average winds estimated to be 35 knots (65km/hr) and momentary gusts up to 50 knots (95 km/hr) close to centre. It should intensify further and reach at least Category 2 status within the next 12 to 18 hours.
Current indications are that TC Pat should continue its southeastward course for a while before, perhaps, taking a more southerly
curvature due to an intense ridge of high pressure lying to its east.
Northern Cooks is currently placed under a tropical cyclone gale warning. On its project path, TC Pat may later pose a threat to southern Cooks as well. TC Pat is the fourth cyclone to occur in the Regional Specified Meteorological Centre Nadi-Tropical Cyclone Centre (RSMC-TCC) area of responsibility and the sixth to form in the Southwest Pacific region.
The Fiji Meteorological Office in Nadi says Tropical Cyclone Pat poses no threat to Fiji.