  2 6 . ▁A ▁tr ough ▁turned ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁absor bing ▁it ▁on ▁January   2 9 . ▁ ▁Trop ical ▁Cy clone ▁G ail ▁ ▁The ▁I TC Z ▁spawn ed ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁con ve ction ▁near ▁Diego ▁Gar cia ▁that ▁became ▁a ▁tropical ▁disturb ance ▁on ▁January   3 1 . ▁The ▁system ▁slowly ▁organized ▁due ▁to ▁wind ▁she ar ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁it ▁moved ▁slowly ▁for ▁several ▁days . ▁On ▁February   4 , ▁the ▁disturb ance ▁became ▁a ▁tropical ▁de pression ▁after ▁the ▁con ve ction ▁organized ▁slightly . ▁Int ens ification ▁became ▁more ▁rapid ▁on ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁after ▁conditions ▁became ▁more ▁favor able , ▁allowing ▁the ▁de pression ▁to ▁intens ify ▁into ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁G ail . ▁Also ▁on ▁February   5 , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁began ▁issu ing ▁warnings ▁on ▁the ▁system ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁Cy clone ▁ 1 0 S . ▁G ail ▁quickly ▁strength ened ▁while ▁moving ▁south west ward , ▁developing ▁a ▁small , ▁poor ly - defined ▁eye ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁con ve ction . ▁On ▁February   7 , ▁it ▁att ained ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁status , ▁reaching ▁peak ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 2 0   km / h ▁( 7 5   m ph ). ▁In cre asing ▁she ar ▁caused ▁G ail ▁to ▁weak en , ▁beginning ▁on ▁February   8 . ▁That ▁night , ▁the ▁center ▁passed ▁less ▁than ▁ 3 0