Wind sheer, tearing moisture off Cyclone Hina at high altitudes, gave the storm a comet-like appearance late in this sequence.
Cyclone Hina became the season’s sixteenth storm in the region as it developed over the Indian Ocean about 500 miles (800 km) southeast of Diego Garcia on February 21.
The storm reached its peak intensity two days later with sustained winds of almost 70 mph (110 km/h), according to forecasters at the U.S. military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
It was gradually torn apart by strong upper-air winds and the cooler waters of the southern Indian Ocean on February 25.
Hina was a threat to only maritime traffic during its entire life span.
Tropical Storm Track
Satellite Loop Data: CIMSS