In Vanuatu, Bola dropped heavy rainfall, which destroyed two bridges and caused severe damage to islands in the group.

Bola caused severe damage to the North Island of New Zealand, where heavy rainfall peaked at 917 mm (36.1 in) in the Gisborne Region.

In Whangaruru Harbour, Northland, an elderly male suffered a heart attack and died during the peak of the storm while attempting to tie down a neighbour's empty water tank.

The system that was to become Severe Tropical Cyclone Bola was first noted during 24 February, as a depression that had developed within the South Pacific Convergence Zone about 850 km (530 mi) to the north-east of Nadi, Fiji.

[6] By this time Bola had become a category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, with wind speeds of between 95–110 km/h (60–70 mph) occurring near the centre.

[5] By 28 February, the system became a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, as it performed a small clockwise loop, between the Shepherd Islands and Efate.

A building ridge of high pressure to its south caused the extratropical remnants of Bola to slow and turn to the west on 7 March.

Around the same time, the storm began slowly filling, meaning the low pressure area associated with Bola was losing its identity.

[16] Shortly prior to losing its identity, the remnants of Bola also dropped 100–200 mm (3.9–7.9 in) of precipitation on the South Island of New Zealand.

[1] Additionally, beginning on about 6 March, the cyclone began affecting the North Island with strong easterly winds of over hurricane force, caused by the interaction between the extratropical remnants of Bola and a ridge of high pressure to its south.

[17] The government responded with Michael Bassett, the Minister of Civil Defence, flying to Gisborne on 8 March in an air force plane (the airport was closed to normal passenger flights).

On 11 March, Prime Minister David Lange flew in an air force helicopter to areas north of Gisborne to accompany a mission to drop supplies to stranded people.

[18] After regular warm summer weather resumed, with fresh running water connection still not fully reestablished, a health scare developed.

Lange insisted on having a member of his personal staff in Gisborne, which inadvertently cut across lines of command established by Ed Latter, the Director of Civil Defence, causing confusion.

[20] The Royal New Zealand Navy Frigate HMNZS Waikato sailed from Newcastle Australia to Auckland NZ when all merchant shipping had been stopped and encountered Cyclone Bola in the Tasman Sea.

[1] The New Zealand government provided about $80 million (1988 NZD) to the east coast region of the North Island for assisting in cyclone damage.