10:25 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, American Samoa time: Ula has been upgraded to a tropical cyclone by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and could lash American Samoa with heavy rain and winds between 30 and 40 mph with 55-mph gusts, according to Samoa News online.

JTWC reported Ula was forecast to pass 135 miles southeast of Pago Pago Thursday afternoon, but the more fierce winds and rainbands are on storm’s back side.

Ula continues moving southwest away from Samoa. This should be the first and final update on Ula.