Fiji hunkers down as formidable cyclone nears main islands

Feb 20, 2016, 18:53
Fiji hunkers down as formidable cyclone nears main islands

"As a nation, we are facing an ordeal of the most grievous kind", he said.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama wrote on Facebook on Saturday that the island's evacuation centers were operational and that the government was prepared to deal with a potential crisis.

"As your national disaster and controller who will be responsible for this operations and together with the Disaster Management Committee (DISMAC) machinery and resources of the government, we will do our best to maintain and uphold your interest and the interest of Fiji", Bainimarama said.

"And I am especially concerned that some people in urban areas do not appear to have heeded the warnings about the seriousness of the threat".

The strong winds ranging between 230 km and 325 km an hour, felled trees in her neighbourhood, with the tin roofs of some houses torn off. Power lines were brought down by the hurricane-force winds, causing the electricity supply to be cut off at 4 pm local time (12 pm Singapore), said Ms Clements.

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Warnings from the Tropical Cyclone Center in Fiji caution that destructive wind gusts from Winston could reach up to 225 miles per hour, in addition to damaging rough seas and coastal flooding.

'There is no one outside; it is nearly impossible to stay outdoors, ' he told AAP on Saturday afternoon.

'We have seen people shopping for the last few days, and from today, the shops are now closed and we hope people have sufficient stock to survive, ' he said.

Fiji Airways and Virgin Australia have grounded flights in and out of Nadi.

Affected travellers can change their travel dates or destinations without incurring fees, the airline said.

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Airlines Virgin and Jetstar suspended flights into and out of Fiji's global airport at Nadi, while the national carrier suspended all flights.

Lakeba, Oneata, Moce, Komo, Namuka, Ogea, Moala, the rest of Vanua Levu and nearby smaller islands, Vitu Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca group have been told to expect destructive storm force winds, with average speeds of 110kmh and gusts of up to 155kmh, periods of heavy rain and squally thunderstorms.

It's moving west at around 25kmh, and at its centre the cyclone is estimated to have winds of 220kmh and gusts of 315kmh.

Fiji is hunkering down as a formidable cyclone with winds of 186 miles per hour was bearing down on the Pacific island nation on Saturday, NBC News reported.

It is expected to make landfall on Fiji's most populous island - home to the capital city of Suva - on Saturday night.

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