▁ass essed ▁the ▁storm ▁to ▁have ▁att ained ▁similar ▁one - min ute ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁upon ▁pe aking ; ▁however , ▁this ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁dis cre pan cies ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁warning ▁cent ers . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁W aka ▁displayed ▁a ▁well - defined , ▁circular ▁eye ▁roughly ▁ ▁in ▁diameter . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁att aining ▁its ▁peak ▁intensity , ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁W aka ▁passed ▁over ▁V ava ' u . ▁ ▁Cont inu ing ▁into ▁the ▁new ▁year , ▁W aka ▁gradually ▁weak ened ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁as ▁it ▁entered ▁a ▁less ▁favor able ▁region ▁for ▁tropical ▁cycl ones . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁wind ▁she ar ▁disp la ced ▁con ve ction ▁from ▁the ▁center ▁and ▁its ▁e y ew all ▁broke ▁apart . ▁Mov ing ▁over ▁decre asing ▁sea ▁surface ▁temper atures , ▁W aka ▁began ▁to ▁under go ▁an ▁extr at rop ical ▁transition , ▁which ▁it ▁completed ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 . ▁Track ing ▁sout heast ward , ▁the ▁rem nant ▁cy clone ▁briefly ▁slow ed ▁over ▁open ▁waters ▁before ▁again ▁acceler ating . ▁Over ▁the ▁following ▁few ▁days , ▁the ▁system ▁gradually ▁weak ened , ▁with ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁decre asing ▁below ▁g ale - force ▁by ▁January ▁ 5 . ▁The ▁storm ▁was ▁last ▁noted ▁on ▁January ▁ 6 ▁near ▁the ▁Southern ▁Ocean , ▁about ▁ ▁north - n orth west ▁of ▁Ant arct ica , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁it ▁had