At approximately 10:00 UTC (23:00 TOT) on 11 February, the cyclone passed about 30 kilometers south of Tongatapu near its peak intensity, as a powerful Category 5 cyclone on the Australian Scale; the RSMC Nadi-based Australian scale and the JTWC-used Saffir–Simpson scale, with maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph).