idge ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁the ▁de pression ▁quickly ▁intens ified , ▁att aining ▁g ale - force ▁wind s ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 9 . ▁Upon ▁doing ▁so , ▁it ▁was ▁upgrad ed ▁to ▁a ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁and ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁W aka . ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁the ▁storm ▁under w ent ▁rapid ▁intens ification ; ▁roughly ▁ 2 4   h ours ▁after ▁being ▁named , ▁W aka ▁att ained ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 2 0   km / h ▁( 7 5   m ph ). ▁During ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁storm ▁br ushed ▁Wall is ▁Island ▁before ▁turning ▁towards ▁the ▁sout heast ▁and ▁acceler ating ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁approaching ▁tr ough ▁from ▁the ▁north west . ▁Cont inu ing ▁to ▁intens ify , ▁W aka ▁passed ▁directly ▁over ▁Ni ua fo ' ou ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 1 ▁with ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 5 0   km / h ▁( 9 0   m ph ). ▁Later ▁that ▁day , ▁the ▁cy clone ▁att ained ▁its ▁peak ▁intensity ▁as ▁a ▁Category   4 ▁severe ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁with ▁ten - min ute ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 8 5   km / h ▁( 1 1 5   km / h ) ▁and ▁a ▁bar ometric ▁pressure ▁of ▁ 9 3 0   m bar ▁( h Pa ; ▁ 2 7 . 4 6   in H g ). ▁The ▁J TW C