Central Tonga feels force of Tropical Cyclone Ian (Cat 4)

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian is closing in on Vava‘u tonight with huge gusts and heavy rain sweeping the group, and much worse to come, with “phenomenal seas” and very destructive 90-125 knots gusts predicted before dawn. At midnight, Vava‘u residents said the gusts were getting much stronger. In its 12:30am advisory for Saturday January 11, Fua‘amotu TCWC stated that the Category 4 cyclone was located about 125km northwest of Hunga (VV) and 125km northwest of Longomapu (VV) or about 210km north-northwest of Lifuka at 10:00pm and moving southeast at 5 knots.