Ula, which developed late Wednesday, has brought stormy weather to Pacific island countries including Fiji and Tonga.
Akapusi Tuifagalele, director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office, urged Fijians to be vigilant.
"Tropical Cyclone Ula is slowly moving at the moment but we want all Fijians to be prepared now...Parents are also urged to watch their children closely and monitor all movements," Tuifagalele said.
Authorities have also advised people living in flood prone areas to take extra caution and to ensure that all necessary preparations are made in case of evacuations.
Water levels have been rising in major rivers, and the general public is advised to refrain from crossing flooded roads and areas.
Meanwhile, a number of areas across the country are without power, as fallen debris on power lines are affecting power supply, according to the Fiji Electricity Authority.
There are no immediate reports of cyclone-related casualties or damage.
Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn 1/1/16
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Cyclone Ula: Hundreds evacuated as first Pacific cyclone of 2016 slams into Tonga...
ReplyDeleteHundreds of people have evacuated from their homes in Tonga as severe tropical cyclone Ula slammed into the tiny Pacific kingdom.
There are no reported casualties as Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva declared a state of emergency before the storm hit “in order to prevent or minimise the loss of human life, illness or injury”.
The northern island of Vava’u took the brunt of the category three cyclone which was packing winds up to 150 kilometres per hour.
“We are very happy that there are no casualties, police checked with hospitals and town officers to confirm that,” the chairman of the National Emergency Management Office, Siaosi Sovaleni, told a press conference.
“We had 11 evacuation centres, over 390 people were relocated to these evacuation centres.”
Ula formed early on Thursday in the South Pacific between Tuvalu and Samoa and was initially expected to remain a category one storm as it tracked west-south-westerly.
However, it intensified to category two late on Thursday then to category three as it approached Tonga.....allnewscenter.com
2/1/16
État d'urgence aux Tonga touchées par un puissant cyclone...
DeleteLes Tonga ont déclaré préventivement l'état d'urgence samedi, lorsque le puissant cyclone tropical Ula a touché le petit royaume du Pacifique.
Le Premier ministre Akilisi Pohiva a pris cette mesure de précaution parce qu'"une situation d'urgence va ou est sur le point de se produire", avec des rafales de vent supérieures à 150 km/h et la montée des eaux de la mer.
"Il est nécessaire de mettre en oeuvre des mesures d'urgence pour éviter ou minimiser les pertes de vies humaines, les maladies, les blessures, les dégâts matériels et environnementaux", a-t-il déclaré.
En fin de matinée samedi, le cyclone de catégorie 3 passait près de l'île septentrionale de Vava'u, où des maisons et des champs ont subi des dégâts.
Ula a le potentiel "de provoquer des dégâts matériels considérables, des dégâts importants aux infrastructures et aux cultures, des coupures de courant locales et un cyclone de catégorie trois présente un risque élevé de blessures", a indiqué le Centre d'alerte des cyclones tropicaux.
Il a mis en garde contre "des vents très destructeurs", avec un niveau de la mer "très élevé" provoquant des inondations dans les basses terres.
Le cyclone devrait s'affaiblir dimanche en se dirigeant vers Fidji......rtbf.be
2/1/16