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Giant waves as cyclone batters Fiji
PAUL TATNELL
March 15, 2010 - 4:56PM
Australians dreaming of a Fiji holiday face heartbreak today after tropical cyclone Tomas forced the cancellation of flights to the area.
The cyclone - classified a category four - is already battering the island's north coast with winds averaging up to 175km/h, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) said.
Waves up to eight metres have also been reported.
More than 5000 people have now been evacuated from Fiji’s northern islands, with that figure soon expected to hit 7000.
Qantas, Air Pacific, V Australia and Virgin Blue have all cancelled or postponed flights to Fiji from Brisbane and Sydney. V Australia and Virgin Blue have also stopped flights from leaving Nadi.
Australian tourist Clare Melvin said she she was evacuated from her accommodation at Plantation Island yesterday afternoon.
"They basically said to us, 'If you've got kids, you should go,'" she said. "Everybody just jumped on this big boat and came back [to the mainland] and they just threw our luggage on the ground and we just all had to scramble for it. It was ridiculous."
FMS senior forecaster Matt Boterhoven said Cyclone Tomas had intensified overnight with the northern island of Vanua Levu most at risk. He predicted winds would be likely to peak at more than 200km/h in the next 24 hours.
"There's going to be a whole lot of flooding," he said.
"[It's a] very destructive hurricane force area so they'll be getting quite a battering over the next 12 hours."
A 31-year-old woman was reportedly swept away by strong ocean currents on Friday after she saved her two children from a storm surge, a police spokesman said.
The cyclone has left some towns without power with officials also warning low-lying areas they will be prone to flooding.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has warned travellers that a curfew will be in force from 8pm today until early tomorrow.
Our Kurry is on holidays enjoying an all-expenses paid p*ss-up with a buddy of hers on a 21st.
If she was able to get on here I'd tell her to (a) stay indoors and keep safe, and (b) stockpile the bourbon because she could be stuck for a while !
PAUL TATNELL
March 15, 2010 - 4:56PM
Australians dreaming of a Fiji holiday face heartbreak today after tropical cyclone Tomas forced the cancellation of flights to the area.
The cyclone - classified a category four - is already battering the island's north coast with winds averaging up to 175km/h, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) said.
Waves up to eight metres have also been reported.
More than 5000 people have now been evacuated from Fiji’s northern islands, with that figure soon expected to hit 7000.
Qantas, Air Pacific, V Australia and Virgin Blue have all cancelled or postponed flights to Fiji from Brisbane and Sydney. V Australia and Virgin Blue have also stopped flights from leaving Nadi.
Australian tourist Clare Melvin said she she was evacuated from her accommodation at Plantation Island yesterday afternoon.
"They basically said to us, 'If you've got kids, you should go,'" she said. "Everybody just jumped on this big boat and came back [to the mainland] and they just threw our luggage on the ground and we just all had to scramble for it. It was ridiculous."
FMS senior forecaster Matt Boterhoven said Cyclone Tomas had intensified overnight with the northern island of Vanua Levu most at risk. He predicted winds would be likely to peak at more than 200km/h in the next 24 hours.
"There's going to be a whole lot of flooding," he said.
"[It's a] very destructive hurricane force area so they'll be getting quite a battering over the next 12 hours."
A 31-year-old woman was reportedly swept away by strong ocean currents on Friday after she saved her two children from a storm surge, a police spokesman said.
The cyclone has left some towns without power with officials also warning low-lying areas they will be prone to flooding.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has warned travellers that a curfew will be in force from 8pm today until early tomorrow.
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Our Kurry is on holidays enjoying an all-expenses paid p*ss-up with a buddy of hers on a 21st.
If she was able to get on here I'd tell her to (a) stay indoors and keep safe, and (b) stockpile the bourbon because she could be stuck for a while !
