Results for Natural events

Tropical Cyclone Winston, category 4, was continuing to move west, away from Tonga and Fiji, at 14km per hour (8 knots) after directly hitting Fiji over the weekend with hurricane force winds. TC Winston is expected to remain a category 4 cyclone today and with a forecast track turning south to south east.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, Category 4, at noon today was located about 140km north-northwest of Neiafu, Vava’u. Various weather models forecast the dangerous storm moving toward Fiji over the weekend.

Tonga’s island groups of Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai and ‘Eua escaped major damage from Tropical Cyclone Winston as it passed through Tonga yesterday and today, Tuesday, 16 February with winds gusts of 120km. Forecasters warn that the cyclone, now Cat. 3, is intensifying to the north east of Vava'u and may return for another pass through Tonga over the next few days.

A Tonga National Emergency Coordination Centre was activated today in response to Tropical Cyclone Winston, after a meeting was told that Cyclone Winston, category 2 poses a direct threat to Ha’apai and Vava’u, and also that there is a likelihood that the cyclone could turn around after passing Vava’u and head back toward Tongatapu and ‘Eua.

A short tremor was felt in Tongatapu tonight at around 4:03 am. The M 5.7 earthquake rattled houses and woke people, who stayed indoors sheltering from the gale force winds and heavy rains brought to Tonga overnight by Tropical Cyclone Winston - an unusual cyclone that is worrying weather experts because it is moving north.

There is a high chance of another cyclone forming up to the second week of March this year, even though Tonga has already experienced three cyclones this season as forecasted, Tonga Met predicts.

Tropical Cyclone Victor (cat. 2) is forecast to bring damaging gale force winds of 65-75kph, squally seas and thunderstorms this evening to southern Tongan islands, according to the latest Tropical Cyclone Advisory #12 issued by the Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre at 1:30pm Friday 22 January 2016. The centre of the cyclone is expected to lie about 150km southeast of 'Eua at 7:00pm.

A tropical cyclone warning for Niue, issued by RSMC Nadi this evening expects Severe Tropical Cyclone Victor with winds gusting up to 205 km/hr near its centre, to pass 330km to the south of Niue over the next 24-48 hours, moving on a westerly track toward southern Tonga. Forecasters state that mariners in Tongatapu and 'Eua coastal waters and for Telekitonga and Teletokelau coastal waters can expect rough to very rough seas and heavy damaging swells on Thursday, with strong and gusty winds at times.

The Tonga government last night cancelled a State of Emergency that was declared for Vava’u and Ha’apai on 31 December as Tropical Cyclone Ula entered Tongan waters. A government team after assessing the situation in Vava'u and Ha'apai yesterday, had found little damage to public infrastructure.