High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Severe Tropical Cyclone Ron was one of the most intense tropical cyclones of the ever recorded in the South Pacific. Ron was the sixth named storm of the 1997-98 South Pacific cyclone season and the third to form during an active phase of the intraseasonal oscillation in the South Pacific Ocean. A tropical depression formed on January 1, 1998 northeast of Samoa. Tropical cyclone intensity was reached on January 2 and intensification proceeded at a fairly rapid rate. Ron reached the peak intensity of 145 mph (225 km/h) on January 5, becoming one of the most intense cyclones in the Southern hemisphere in that decade, when Ron was at north-northwest of Apia, Samoa, three days after initial development. The cyclone maintained this strength for about 36 hours, while re-curving to the south-southeast. Then, Ron started weakening while passing between central Tonga and Niue on January 7. Finally, by January 9, Ron was absorbed by the much larger circulation of Severe Tropical Cyclone Susan.