File:Tropical cyclone vaianu (2006).jpg

Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was threading its way through the Tonga Islands on February 13, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image at 1:45 UTC (1:45 p.m. local time). At this time, Vaianu was heading south through the chain of islands, knocking out electricity in many areas, as well as flattening crops such as bananas, mangos, and breadfruit trees. Flooding in low-lying areas shut down the capital, Nuku'alofa, for two days as stores barricaded their doors and windows to protect them from battering winds. The cyclone had peak sustained winds of around 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour), but the storm center where these peak winds were observed was well away from the Tonga and Fiji Islands.