Tusi's eye subsequently passed near or over American Samoa's Manu'a Islands early the next day, as the system peaked in intensity with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 150 km/h (95 mph).

The precursor tropical low to Cyclone Veli formed within the Australian region on February 5, about 725 km (450 mi) to the south-east of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

[7] During the next day the low moved eastwards and gradually developed further, before it became equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, as it reached its 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 85 km/h (50 mph).

[8] Early the next day the JTWC initiated advisories and started to monitor Veli as Tropical Cyclone 16P, with peak 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 45 km/h (30 mph).

A shallow tropical depression developed within a monsoon trough of low pressure on March 5, about 485 km (300 mi) to the southeast of Honiara, on the Solomon Island of Guadalcanal.

[12][13] Over the next 3 days the system remained as a shallow depression as it moved southwards, before it rapidly developed into a tropical cyclone underneath an upper-level ridge of high pressure.

[9][12] During the next day Yali continued to intensify before as the ridge of high pressure moved northwards, before the system peaked with 1 and 10-minute sustained windspeeds of 120 km/h (75 mph).