▁patch ▁of ▁th under st orm s ▁that ▁formed ▁off ▁the ▁southern ▁coast ▁of ▁Java ▁grouped ▁together ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁low ▁pressure ▁area ▁which ▁quickly ▁started ▁to ▁dr ift ▁west wards . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁T C W C ▁Per th ▁upgrad ed ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁low ▁pressure ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁low . ▁As ▁the ▁storm ▁continued ▁to ▁move ▁west ward , ▁it ▁gradually ▁organized . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 4 , ▁the ▁storm ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Bo M ' s ▁bas in ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁South - West ▁Indian ▁Ocean . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁R S MC ▁La ▁Re union ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁low ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁tropical ▁de pression , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁located ▁east - s out heast ▁of ▁Diego ▁Gar cia . ▁Later ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁upgrad ed ▁the ▁storm ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm ▁and ▁designated ▁it ▁as ▁ 1 3 S . ▁However , ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 5 , ▁the ▁de pression ▁gradually ▁weak ened ▁due ▁to ▁increased ▁wind ▁she ar . ▁But ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 7 , ▁the ▁storm ▁began ▁to ▁re organ ize . ▁On ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁the ▁storm ▁quickly ▁organized ▁itself , ▁as ▁it ▁turned ▁towards ▁the ▁south west . ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 0 , ▁the ▁storm ▁strength ened ▁into ▁a ▁Mod er ate ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁Hil wa . ▁Later ▁on ▁that ▁same ▁day , ▁Hil wa ▁turned ▁south wards ▁as ▁wind ▁she