1 Mar 2014

Tropical cyclone warning issued for Tonga

9:37 am on 1 March 2014

The Fiji met service has issued a tropical cyclone warning for Tonga.

The metservice says tropical depression 15F is moving south-southeast at about 15 kilometres an hour, and is expected to intensify further and possibly become a tropical cyclone in the next 6 to 12 hours.

A senior forecaster at the Fiji metservice, Rajmeel Suvendra Prasad, says parts of Tonga should now be feeling the weather system.

"The waters are getting up to 25 knots winds however their land areas are getting light winds at the moment but the Ha'apai group is getting 15 knots winds at the moment."

Rajmeel Suvendra Prasad says winds will intensify as it moves closers to Tonga.

Meanwhile, a heavy rain remains in force for Fiji's Eastern and Southern Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Lau and Lomaiviti groups.

And Fiji live online is reporting the Ministry of Health will send out public health teams to visit evacuation centres in the central division with a view to prevent the spread of diseases in the recent aftermath of floods.

In an update provided by DISMAC this morning, 558 plus people are being accommodated in evacuation centres opened in the central division.

Fiji's prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama will be visiting flood affected areas in Nausori this morning.