▁December ▁ 3 1 ,. ▁The ▁storm ▁then ▁took ▁turned ▁onto ▁a ▁more ▁south w ester ly ▁path ▁as ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁strength en . ▁This ▁period ▁of ▁continued ▁strength ening ▁did ▁not ▁last ▁long . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁dry ▁air ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁its ▁way ▁into ▁the ▁southern ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁storm . ▁Con ve ction ▁increased ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁time , ▁but ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁day ▁La ▁Ré union ▁noted ▁that ▁Ben ilde ' s ▁northern ▁e y ew all ▁had ▁col lapsed ▁and ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁weak ening ▁after ▁reporting ▁ 1 0 - min ute ▁sust ained ▁peak ▁wind ▁spe eds ▁of ▁ 1 5 0   km / h ▁( 9 0   m ph ). ▁On ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁Ben ilde ▁weak ened ▁into ▁a ▁Se vere ▁Trop ical ▁Storm . ▁S uffer ing ▁from ▁severe ▁wind ▁she ar , ▁the ▁system ▁continued ▁weak ening ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁tropical ▁de pression ▁on ▁January ▁ 4 , ▁while ▁completely ▁absor bing ▁a ▁weak ▁disturb ance ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁late ▁during ▁that ▁day . ▁Early ▁on ▁January ▁ 5 , ▁Ben ilde ▁weak ened ▁some ▁more , ▁as ▁its ▁northern ▁structure ▁col lapsed ▁completely , ▁and ▁the ▁con ve ction ▁was ▁disp la ced , ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁storm ' s ▁center ▁as ▁it ▁deg ener ated ▁into ▁an ▁extr at rop ical ▁cy clone . ▁ ▁Mod er ate ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁Ch anda ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 4