Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Cyclone Ului damages Solomon Islands

Updated at 3:56 pm on 15 March 2010

Strong winds from a second Pacific cyclone, Ului, have damaged houses and buildings in Rennell in Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office spokesperson Julian Makaa says some houses on the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal have also been washed away, Radio New Zealand International reports.

He says storm force winds of up to 116km/h were being felt in the province of Rennell and Bellona.

Mr Makaa says Cyclone Ului, which has been reduced from category 5 to category 4, was now heading to open waters.

It was earlier reported that the Category 5 storm had winds of up to 300km/h.

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