Fiji hunkers down as formidable cyclone nears main islands

Tropical Cyclone Winston passed through Tonga earlier this week, and is now heading westward past the Lau islands, bringing with it winds of 220km/hr and gusts of up to 315km/hr.

With average winds of 220 kilometers (136 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 315 kilometers per hour, Winston was forecast to hit the main island Viti Levu overnight (local time) on Saturday, according to the Fiji meteorological office.

Fiji has declared a nationwide curfew, as airlines suspended flights and the prime minister warned people to seek refuge from a cyclone that could prove to be the Pacific island nation’s most powerful on record.

Storm warnings have been issued for Lakeba, Oneata, Moce, Komo, Namuka, Ogea, Moala, the rest of Vanua Levu and nearby smaller islands, Viti Levu, Yasawa and the Mamanuca group.

“The assault”, as Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama put it, has already begun.

Cyclones are common in the South Pacific. The storm is expected to strengthen further before the eye of the storm hits the islands late Saturday local time. Coastal inundation is also likely as storm surges may push the sea inland several hundred metres, especially in areas close to the centre of the cyclone.

“This is a mountainous nation, and that means any heavy rainfall will filter down to the lower elevations – meaning landslides, mudslides and flooding”, Van Dam said.

Ships within 300 nautical miles of the storm were asked to report in every three hours and told to expect “phenomenal seas within 30 nautical miles of the centre”. “We must stick together as a people and look after each other”.

The government imposed a nation-wide curfew on Saturday night, with Bainimarama saying conditions would be too risky for residents to venture outside.

The Red Cross said it was “fully prepared and on standby”.

The service said the nation, which has a population of about 900,000, is facing heavy rains, fierce winds and strong sea swells.