Tonga is an island nation located within Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1800 kilometres (1120 mi) to the northeast of New Zealand and is neighboured by American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna. The island nation consists of 171 islands, which are scattered over 700,000 km2 (270,000 sq mi) and grouped into four island groups (Haʻapai, Niua's, Tongatapu and Vavaʻu). Collectively the xxx systems have caused at least $ US in damages and at least xxx deaths.
Tropical cyclones are the most serious natural hazard that Tonga experiences in terms of total damages and economic loss, with the island nation directly impacted by an average of 10 - 12 tropical cyclones during a decade or at least 1 - 2 tropical cyclones each season. Since 1643, at least 300 possible tropical cyclones have affected the Fijian Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. They generally impact the country during the cyclone season between November and the following April, however, systems have impacted the island nation outside of these times. However, there have been at least 14 seasons where no direct impacts to Fiji have been recorded, while five named systems impacted the island nation during the 1992-93 season.
The effects of tropical cyclones on the island nation are most significant at the coast, however, as Fiji is a small country, the whole island nation can be severely impacted by widespread flooding, landslides and storm-force winds. The frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones impacting Fiji is one of the major barriers, to the island nations economic growth and development. The average annual losses to assets from tropical cyclones amount to about FJ$152 million or about 1.6% of the island nations gross domestic product. The worst tropical cyclone on record to impact Fiji was Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston which caused 44 deaths and an estimated 2 billion FJ$ (0.9 billion US$) in damage. The deadliest tropical cyclone was the February 1931 hurricane and flood which caused 225 deaths.