▁named ▁the ▁storm ▁Fun so ▁before ▁early ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁as ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁intens ify ▁quickly , ▁R S MC ▁La ▁Re union ▁declared ▁that ▁Fun so ▁had ▁intens ified ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁cy clone . ▁Due ▁to ▁land ▁interaction , ▁Fun so ▁weak ened ▁slightly ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 2 – 2 3 , ▁but ▁soon ▁re int ens ified ▁into ▁an ▁inten se ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁as ▁it ▁started ▁heading ▁south . ▁Although ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁storm ▁remained ▁off sh ore , ▁over ▁three ▁million ▁people ▁were ▁affected ▁by ▁tropical ▁storm - force ▁wind s . ▁Fun so ▁strength ened ▁a ▁little ▁more ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 4 , ▁as ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁move ▁south ward ▁slowly . ▁However , ▁early ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 5 , ▁Fun so ▁began ▁to ▁weak en , ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁e y ew all ▁replacement ▁cycle . ▁remarked ▁that ▁Fun so ▁weak ened ▁below ▁inten se ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁intensity ▁early ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 5 . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁estimated ▁the ▁cy clone ▁intens ified ▁further ▁to ▁peak ▁ 1   min ute ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 2 2 0   km / h ▁( 1 4 0   m ph ), ▁based ▁on ▁estimates ▁via ▁the ▁D vor ak ▁technique . ▁The ▁ag ency ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁e y ew all ▁replacement ▁cycle ▁finished ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁well - defined ▁eye ▁ 2 8   km ▁( 1 7   mi )