Tropical Cyclone Yasa has strengthened rapidly in the last 24 hours with a Class 1 hurricane on the Safar-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Winds increased from 130 kilometers per hour to 250 kph (80-155 miles per hour). And the storm is just shy of Class 5 strength.
On the scale used by Pacific Australia, Fiji and other countries in the South Pacific, which is slightly lower than Safir-Simpson, Yasa is already classified as Class 5.
Before Yasa gets a little weaker, it could get stronger in the next 36 hours, as it approaches Fiji in about 36 hours. However, the storm is likely to be extremely strong when the local time (ET on Thursday morning) reaches the country on Thursday night.
200 kph. In addition to winds above (125 miles per hour), the storm will bring more than 250 mm (10 inches) of rain, which could accelerate flooding and landslides. The extreme intensity of the hurricane will lead to very rough seas and the length of the storm is capable of flooding low-lying coastal communities.
The scale estimates potential property damage, and NOAA warns that winds of more than 200 kph can also result in “severe damage” to well-built homes, while trees and power poles can go down, causing further destruction and disruption. .
While Yasa is hitting Fiji, another tropical cyclone, Zazu, has passed just north of Tonga, but has had no effect on the islands.
Zazu is the equivalent of a tropical storm with winds of 100 kph (62 miles). No additional landmasses are in its way and the storm is expected to dissipate in another day or two.
With an average additional degree of global warming, the rate and frequency of wildfires will increase rapidly, as will the intensity of heat-driven tropical cyclones.
CNN’s James Griffiths contributed to the report from Hong Kong.
.
