ly ▁slower ▁than ▁the ▁northern ▁one . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁the ▁southern ▁component ▁was ▁class ified ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁De pression ▁ 0 3 F ▁by ▁the ▁Regional ▁Special ized ▁Meteor ological ▁Center ▁in ▁N adi , ▁F iji ▁( F iji ▁Meteor ological ▁Service ); ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁de pression ▁was ▁situated ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Sol omon ▁Islands . ▁The ▁northern ▁component ▁eventually ▁developed ▁into ▁Ty ph oon ▁F ax ai , ▁an ▁extremely ▁powerful ▁Category ▁ 5 ▁equivalent ▁cy clone . ▁Un like ▁F ax ai , ▁the ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁Cy clone ▁W aka ▁developed ▁slowly , ▁mainly ▁because ▁of ▁moder ate ▁wind ▁she ar ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁Mov ing ▁sout heast ward , ▁the ▁system ▁gradually ▁became ▁more ▁organized . ▁On ▁two ▁occasions , ▁the ▁J oint ▁Ty ph oon ▁Warning ▁Center ▁( J TW C ) ▁issued ▁a ▁Trop ical ▁Cy clone ▁Form ation ▁Alert ; ▁however , ▁the ▁ag ency ▁later ▁can ce led ▁them ▁both ▁times . ▁By ▁December ▁ 2 7 , ▁the ▁de pression ▁had ▁entered ▁a ▁region ▁of ▁less er ▁she ar , ▁favor ing ▁significant ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁system . ▁The ▁following ▁day , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁class ified ▁the ▁system ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁De pression ▁ 0 7 P , ▁when ▁the ▁storm ▁was ▁situated ▁roughly ▁ ▁north west ▁of ▁P ago ▁P ago , ▁American ▁Sam oa . ▁ ▁Track ing ▁towards ▁the ▁south west ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁mid - level ▁r