close to Niue during February 8. Despite marginal gale-force winds being present in the depressions eastern quadrant, strong north-westerlies prevented the depression, from strengthening into a tropical cyclone. The depression was subsequently last noted during February 9, as it was absorbed into the Westerlies. The only damage that could be attributed to the depression is a number of houses that were destroyed on the Tuvaluan atoll of Vaitupu on February 6, however it is possible that the houses were destroyed by the strong and squally north-westerlies that were prevailing over the northern islands of Tuvalu at that time. As Tuvalu, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue had all been affected by Cyclone Ofa a few days earlier; any damage would have been difficult to assess. Severe Tropical Cyclone Peni A shallow area of low-pressure began to develop near Rakahanga, an island in the Cook Island chain. The storm had also formed on the South Pacific convergence zone. The storm was first recognized on February 12, and had received tropical cyclone characteristics on the 13th. At 21:00 UTC, the storm was recognized as Tropical Cyclone Peni. The storm then took a path southwest towards the Cook Islands, Peni made a narrow turn and passed close to Aitutaki. Peni had gained hurricane status on the 15th, at 06:00 UTC. Peni had been able to keep hurricane characteristics until February 17, when it was downgraded to a storm, and soon, was declared extratropical. The name Peni was retired from the naming list. Tropical Cyclone Hilda During March 7, Tropical Cyclone Hilda moved into the basin from the Australian region, as a category 2 tropical cyclone while it was located about to the northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia. During that day, the system passed about to the south-west of New Caledonia, as it moved south-southwestwards and degenerated into an extratropical depression. Over the next couple of days, the system moved through the Tasman Sea and passed near New Zealand's South Island, before it was absorbed into a high-latitude trough of low pressure. Tropical Cyclone Rae During March 16, the FMS started to monitor a shallow tropical depression, that had developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone in between Vanuatu and Fiji. Over the next couple of days, the system caused strong winds and heavy rain over the island nation of Tuvalu, as it slowly moved south-eastwards, before it passed around to the east of