Despite anticipation that tropical cyclogenesis was unlikely in the short term, deep convection rapidly developed over an increasingly better defined circulation, with an anticyclone aloft aiding in intensification. Late on April 17, the Fiji Meteorological Service classified the system as Tropical Depression 16F, and early the next day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified it as Tropical Cyclone 27P.
Despite initial forecasts that a tropical storm would not develop in the short term, strong convection rapidly formed over an increasingly clear circulation pattern, thanks to an upper-level high-pressure system. On April 17 evening, the Fiji Meteorological Service designated the system as Tropical Depression 16F, and the next morning the Joint Typhoon Warning Center labeled it as Tropical Cyclone 27P.