Pacific cyclone bears down on Fiji after brushing Tonga

A state of emergency was declared for Ha’apai and Vava’u in Tonga after torrential rains pounded the region.

Ula caused property damage on the low-lying island, ripping roofs off houses and destroying plant crops.

Laitia Fifita from Tonga’s Met Service on Tongatapu said flash flooding is expected in Vava’u.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in Tonga since the arrival of Cyclone Ula but no casualties have been reported as of yet.

Carlos Calderon, Pacific Humanitarian Manager for Oxfam New Zealand, said the severity of the storm can be attributed to global temperature increases from the current super charged El Nino.

“We have emergency supplies in Tonga ready in place, so once the urgent needs are assessed we are ready to help coordinate the supply of clean water and sanitation for those affected by the disaster”.

The decision was announced in the early hours of this morning as Cyclone Ula, a category three, bore down on the island group. Ula is expected to track along the western edge of a sub-tropical ridge (elongated area) of high pressure where it will encounter increasing vertical wind shear associated with a shortwave trough (elongated area of low ).

A damaging swell is expected to develop overnight with the risk of “very high to phenomenal seas”.

Fiji on Friday issued a warning of heavy rain and strong winds as tropical cyclone Ula passed by, and urged the general public to take extra precaution during the next few days.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of Tropical Cyclone Ula moving away from Fiji on January 4, 2016.

The weather system has caused numerous power outages in Fiji and locals living in flood-prone areas have been warned to prepare for possible flash flooding.