mˈɑːɹtʃ wʌz sˈaɪkloʊn sˈiːzən ɪn ðɪs ˈɛɹiə, ænd ˈeɪpiə hɐdbɪn hˈɪt baɪ ɐ sˈaɪkloʊn dʒˈʌst θɹˈiː jˈɪɹz pɹˈiːviəsli, wˌɪtʃ ðə kˈæptɪnz ʌvðə ʃˈɪps hˈɜːd ɐbˌaʊt fɹʌm lˈoʊkəl pˈiːpəl, ɪspˈɛʃəli æz ðə wˈɛðɚ bɪɡˈæn tə tʃˈeɪndʒ ænd ðɪ ˌætməsfˈɛɹɪk pɹˈɛʃɚ bɪɡˈæn tə fˈɔːl.
March was cyclone season in this area, and Apia had been hit by a cyclone just three years previously, which the captains of the ships heard about from local people, especially as the weather began to change and the atmospheric pressure began to fall.