Cyclone Yasa: Fiji hit by gusts of up to 350 km / h as storm makes landfall

Cyclone Yasa has made landfall in Fiji, with wind gusts of up to 350 km / h at its center.

A state of natural disaster has been declared in Fiji and the nation has been told to prepare for incredibly strong, “damaging and destructive” winds.

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Cyclone Yasa made landfall in Bua province around 6 p.m. tonight, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) said.

The center of the cyclone was expected to be about 25 km west-northwest of Koro or about 130 km northeast of Suva at 11 p.m.

Extremely rough seas are expected with waves reaching heights of 14 m or more.

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Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says Cyclone Yasa could easily overcome the disastrous effects of Cyclone Winston in 2016.

Winston destroyed several villages, killed 44 people and left thousands homeless. It caused damages worth approximately $ 1.4 billion ($ 1.95 billion).

Bainimarama assured that the Fijian authorities are ready to deploy immediately.

“All who stand in the way of this storm rest assured that we will catch up,” he said. “Our battle-tested disaster officers are ready to help affected communities.

“Stay safe, Fiji.”

State of emergency, curfew in force

The natural disaster status will be in effect for the next 30 days, the nation’s disaster management announced.

The average wind speed around the storm is 250 km / h, with gusts exceeding
300km / h.

In a Thursday night update, the Fiji Weather Service said category five cyclone Yasa was passing through Yasawa-i-Raw and heading toward Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu.

MetService New Zealand meteorologist Angus Hines said the “bulk” of the storm will arrive overnight and on Friday morning.

He said it was also possible for areas of Fiji to experience flash floods and coastal flooding, where large waves, strong winds and low atmospheric pressure would push the ocean much further inland than it normally would.

A series of weather advisories remain for different parts of the country, the FMS said.

Storm surge and high damaging wave warnings have been implemented for Rotuma, the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

A flash flood warning remains in effect for low-lying areas and landslides are likely, he said.

There is a curfew from 4:00 pm to 6:00 am

Sigatoka’s New Zealander, Mandy de Vries, who runs the EcoTrax tourism business with her husband, spent yesterday “closing the hatches” and placing hurricane blankets at their home and workplace.

Last night he described the intense heat.

“Before a cyclone, the air gets so heavy and you can’t seem to do anything without breaking a sweat. It’s been like this for a couple of days.

“The air is so hot. You can’t get away from it. It’s horrible. It’s really intense. You know something is happening. You can feel it in the air.”

Casey Quimby, an American who has lived in Fiji for 14 years, said she is “preparing for the worst case scenario.”

She runs Animals Fiji, a shelter and veterinary charity, and hopes to be busy caring for injured animals after the cyclone.

The team boarded up windows at their sites in Nadi and Savusavu, and veterinarians brought home medical kits in case animals in need were found.

The National Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate the response and relief efforts of the Government of Fiji.

Low-lying evacuations have already taken place and all non-essential government workers have been told to stay home during the cyclone’s height.

The National Office of Disaster Management reiterated warnings of imminent danger this morning, pleading with those living near the coast to move to evacuation centers as the storm approaches.