Tropical Cyclone Wati is closing in on the southern Cook Islands, with the island of Aitutaki bracing for the season's first named storm. The island council has activated its emergency operations centre as the Category 2 system tracks southeast and conditions deteriorate.
The storm's arrival has rattled a community that still remembers Cyclone Pat's devastation in 2010. Boats have been cleared from the Arutanga marina, locals have spent days buying rope and plywood for shutters, and hotels have been told to cancel tours and keep guests indoors. New Zealand tourists caught on the island are riding out the weather as Wati edges closer.
Tropical Cyclone Wati: latest track and intensity
Wati is currently a Category 2 tropical cyclone moving south-southeast at about 14 kilometres per hour, according to Fiji One News, which cited the Fiji Meteorological Service on Monday morning. At 11am local time, the system was sitting near 15.2 degrees south and 162.9 degrees west, roughly 220 kilometres south of Suwarrow in the northern Cook Islands.
The Fiji service puts Wati's maximum sustained winds at around 100 kilometres per hour near its centre, with gusts reaching 140 km/h. That compares with the Cook Islands Meteorological Service's earlier reading of 85 km/h sustained winds and 120 km/h gusts, reported by Cook Islands News on Saturday — the two readings come from different services at different times as the storm moves.
On the forecast track, the cyclone's centre is expected to pass about 200 kilometres northeast of Palmerston Island and 310 kilometres northwest of Aitutaki by 11pm tonight, before swinging to roughly 20 kilometres northeast of Aitutaki by 11am on Tuesday, Fiji One News reported.
The Cook Islands Met Service warns Aitutaki to expect winds of 35 to 45 km/h, gusting to 80 km/h, strengthening to damaging gale force — averaging 85 km/h with gusts to 120 km/h — along with heavy rain, squally thunderstorms, rough seas and high swells. Residents have been told to secure loose items, keep away from exposed coastlines and stay off the water.
Aitutaki prepares for the worst
Aitutaki's mayor, Nicholas Henry, told Cook Islands News that every island's disaster risk management plan was updated in April 2025 with help from Emergency Management Cook Islands — and this weekend, those plans are being put to the test. An emergency HQ has been set up at the Power Station conference room, to be manned around the clock until the cyclone alert passes, with police, the Red Cross, Vodafone and other agencies activated.
Teams have checked on vulnerable and elderly residents — delivering drinking water and tying down roofs — while almost all boats were cleared from the Arutanga marina and locals bought rope and plywood for shutters.
"The memory of the devastation from Cyclone Pat in 2010 is still strong with many residents, so we want to be overprepared rather than underprepared," Henry said. Hotels and tour operators have been urged to cancel tours and shows, keep guests informed and keep everyone indoors once the cyclonic weather sets in.
Rangers ride out the storm on Suwarrow
Wati was named a Category One system while passing over Suwarrow, a remote atoll in the northern Cook Islands. Two National Environment Services rangers — Johnnie Tangaroa, in his third season as park ranger, and assistant ranger Teokotai Terei, in his first — were on the atoll when the storm came through, and are reported safe.
"Both rangers are currently safe and in good spirits," NES Pa Enua coordinator Moana Tetauru told Cook Islands News. They secured shelter and supplies ahead of the storm, have enough food and fuel with all equipment working, and reported strong winds and rough seas that later eased, plus some erosion around Anchorage Island, their home base.
Why Wati formed so early in the season
Wati developed from Tropical Disturbance TD01F — and its timing has raised eyebrows. The official South Pacific cyclone season runs from November 1 to April 30, making Wati roughly two weeks early and the season's first cyclone.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology described the system as well-structured, with a defined inflow band feeding thunderstorms and heavy rain into its eastern side, and warned authorities in Tahiti and the Cook Islands to expect heavy rainfall, gusty winds, dangerous rip currents and swells through the weekend.
One factor behind the early start: El Niño. "El Niño's unusually strong grasp on the Central Pacific is one reason behind this system's development," the Australian office said. "This makes Wati not only earlier than average, but also likely the first of many more storms to form in the South Pacific this cyclone season."
Why it matters
Aitutaki is one of the Cook Islands' best-known destinations, and a Category 2 cyclone passing within 20 kilometres brings the damaging winds, heavy rain and rough seas forecasters have warned about — the same hazards that have residents tying down roofs and crews standing by for power outages.
The storm also matters as a season opener: an early, well-organised cyclone fuelled by a strong El Niño fits the above-normal activity outlook NIWA, New Zealand's MetService and Pacific partners released earlier this week — an early warning for Pacific communities.
The wider region, though, can breathe easier. Fiji's Met Service director Misaeli Funaki said Wati poses "absolutely zero threat" to Fiji, while New Zealand's MetService says the system is "pretty unlikely" to strike New Zealand, tracking too far east. NIWA agrees: no threat to New Zealand.
What happens next
The next 24 hours are the critical window: if Wati holds its forecast track, Aitutaki will feel its closest approach on Tuesday morning, with damaging gales, heavy rain and dangerous seas peaking around then. Emergency teams will stay at their posts until the cyclone alert is lifted, and residents across the southern Cook Islands are urged to keep monitoring official bulletins.
Key Takeaways
- Tropical Cyclone Wati is a Category 2 system tracking southeast toward the southern Cook Islands, with its centre forecast to pass about 20 km northeast of Aitutaki by Tuesday morning.
- Aitutaki's Island Council has activated its emergency operations centre, with 24/7 staffing, roof tie-downs, water deliveries to the vulnerable and boats cleared from the marina.
- The Cook Islands Met Service warns of damaging gale-force winds averaging 85 km/h with gusts to 120 km/h, heavy rain, squally thunderstorms and high seas.
- Wati formed about two weeks before the official cyclone season, fuelled by a strong El Niño — and forecasters say it is likely the first of many storms this season.
- No threat to New Zealand or Fiji, according to their met services; New Zealand tourists on Aitutaki are riding out the storm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tropical Cyclone Wati now?
As of Monday morning, Wati was about 220 kilometres south of Suwarrow in the northern Cook Islands, near 15.2°S 162.9°W, moving south-southeast at around 14 km/h toward the southern group, according to the Fiji Meteorological Service via Fiji One News.
How strong is Cyclone Wati?
Wati is a Category 2 tropical cyclone. The Fiji Met Service reports sustained winds of about 100 km/h with gusts to 140 km/h near its centre; the Cook Islands Met Service earlier measured 85 km/h sustained with 120 km/h gusts. The two readings come from different services at different times as the storm moves.
When will Cyclone Wati reach Aitutaki?
The forecast track brings Wati's centre to about 20 kilometres northeast of Aitutaki by 11am on Tuesday, October 20. Damaging gale-force winds, heavy rain and rough seas are forecast to build through Monday and peak around the closest approach on Tuesday.
Is Aitutaki under an emergency alert?
Yes. The Aitutaki Island Council has activated its emergency operations centre, headquartered at the Power Station conference room and manned around the clock. Residents have been told to secure property, avoid coastlines and stay indoors once the cyclonic weather arrives.
Are tourists affected by Cyclone Wati?
Yes. New Zealand's 1News reports tourists from New Zealand are stuck on Aitutaki as the cyclone causes issues on the island. Hotels and tour operators have been asked to cancel tours and shows and keep guests informed and safe indoors.
Does Cyclone Wati threaten New Zealand or Fiji?
No. NIWA and New Zealand's MetService say Wati poses no threat to New Zealand, and Fiji Met Service director Misaeli Funaki said it poses "absolutely zero threat" to Fiji. The system is tracking southeast, away from both countries' shores for now.
Why did Cyclone Wati form before the cyclone season?
Wati developed from Tropical Disturbance TD01F about two weeks before the official November 1 start of the South Pacific season. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology points to El Niño's unusually strong grip on the Central Pacific, which can trigger earlier-than-normal cyclone activity.
What was Cyclone Pat 2010?
Cyclone Pat was a destructive storm that struck Aitutaki in 2010; its devastation is still fresh in residents' memory, which is why Mayor Nicholas Henry says the island wants to be "overprepared rather than underprepared" for Wati's arrival this week.
Sources
- RNZ via NZ Herald — Aitutaki braces for Tropical Cyclone Wati (October 18, 2026) — emergency operations centre activation; Category 2; southeast track.
- Cook Islands News — Bracing for Wati: Category Two cyclone bears down on Aitutaki (October 17, 2026) — Met Service wind figures; Mayor Henry preparations and quotes; Suwarrow rangers; TD01F origins; El Niño.
- Fiji One News — Tropical Cyclone Wati reaches category 2, approaches Aitutaki (October 19, 2026) — latest position, wind speeds, forecast track near Aitutaki.
- 1News — News in 90 Seconds October 19 (October 19, 2026) — cyclone causing issues on Aitutaki; NZ tourists stuck.
- Fiji Sun — TC Wati poses no threat to Fiji (October 18, 2026) — FMS director Misaeli Funaki quote.
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By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 19, 2026