Results for Natural events

The Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Center was deactivated at 1:00pm today, as Tropical Cyclone Yasa weakened and was downgraded into a tropical low as it moved to the south-southwest, further away from Tongatapu and 'Eua this morning.

An extremely powerful Tropical Cyclone “Yasa”, is threatening Fiji today, where Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama warned people to prepare and evacuate low lying areas. Forecasters warned that wave heights around the eye of the storm could approach 14 meters (45 feet), with momentary gusts of up to 195 knots (390km/hr). TC Yasa threatens to cause damage on the scale of Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016. Meanwhile, a Tropical Cyclone Alert is now in force for Tonga.

As Fiji braces for severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa (Cat. 5), Tonga Met. Director ‘Ofa Fa’anunu advises that Tonga should prepare too for a potentially severe cyclone over the weekend. Meanwhile, TC Zazu has moved away from Tonga.

Weather watchers are following Tropical Cyclone Yasa [995hpa], moving slowly toward Fiji today, bringing thunderstorms and showers to the area. The Cat.1 storm is expected to strengthen over the next few days.

Above average rainfall is forecast across Tonga up to January 2021, according to the latest climate update from Tonga Meteorological Service. Tonga Met is also using traditional knowledge indicators to forecast tropical cyclones and so far, our mango trees, the birds and the bees and bananas are not indicating cyclones.

A six-day training program on building different types of fale Tonga (Tonga house) for cyclone preparedness was completed after 25 people, including 11 women, were awarded certificates at the Free Constitution Church of Tonga in Pahu today. By Eleanor Gee.

In Tonga we loose more lives at sea than through natural disasters, 'Ofa Fa'anunu told maritime operators in Tongatapu and 'Eua on October 16, in a consultation workshop by the Tonga Meteorological Services, aimed to improve weather and radio services.

A 6.7mi earthquake centred near the Vava'u Group was felt in the capital Nuku'alofa at 2:14 pm as a strong tremor. The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre advised that there is no tsunami threat based on preliminary data.

It is quite special that this year all the planets are easily visible and also in a configuration which happens infrequently. In December 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will come closer together, until their great conjunction on 22 December 7:37 Tonga time. It will be a spectacular phenomenon, a few days before Christmas. They will do so again in 2080 but then for centuries to come, not any more. A long time ago, in 14AD there was, interestingly, a great conjunction on 25 December. By Firitia Velt.