ReliefWeb

This is the first OCHA Flash Update on Severe Tropical Cyclone (TC) Ian heading towards the Kingdom of Tonga.

The cyclone has been slowly tracking between Fiji and Tonga over the last few days and has intensified to a Category 3 system located approximately 170 km southwest of the northern island of Niuafo’ou (population 520).

TC Ian is currently moving at 5 km/h in a northeast direction, but is expected to change southeast by this evening. On its current track, models forecast the cyclone will impact Niuafo’ou this afternoon with heavy rain and flash flooding predicted. It will reach Vava’u (pop. 15,000) by midday (UTC +13) Friday 10 January and Ha’apai (pop. 6,650) by midnight before passing to the east of Tongatapu (pop. 75,000) causing gale force winds, high tides and large waves.

Sustained winds are currently 120 km/h out to a 35 km radius of the storm’s centre with gusts of up to 150km/h. Forecasters are predicting the cyclone will intensify to a Category 4 system by Friday evening. NASA reports powerful thunderstorms around the cyclone’s centre and an eye developing, indicating its increasing intensity.

The Government of Tonga held a National Emergency Management Committee meeting last night and is monitoring the cyclone through local meteorological services. The National Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and is liaising with the national radio station to alert communities in the northern islands.

The next update will be issued as new information becomes available.

Further information about the cyclone is available from the following websites:
Tonga Meteorological Service: www.met.gov.to
Fiji Meteorological Service: www.met.gov.fj
Joint Typhoon Warning Center: www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/

A map showing the cyclone’s track is available at http://bit.ly/19eNu7E, with an online version at http://bit.ly/1d9uLLz

For further information, please contact:
Elisabeth McLeod, Public Information Officer, UNOCHA ROP, mcleode@un.org, +679 999 1423.