Fijians urged to prepare for tropical cyclone Yasa

Source: Xinhua| 2020-12-15 15:30:51|Editor: huaxia

SUVA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama urged Fijians on Tuesday to prepare for tropical cyclone Yasa which is over open waters between Fiji and Vanuatu and expected to move towards Fiji from Wednesday.

He called on communities in the island nation to use this time to trim tree branches, clean drains, board up homes, prepare emergency kits, and take other steps to keep homes and communities safe.

The prime minister urged Fijians to know the location of their nearest evacuation center and not be caught off guard by the storm, saying that people need to stay out of floodwaters, especially children.

Fijians need to take all the necessary precautionary measures as the Nadi Weather Office has analyzed that tropical cyclone Yasa will come right over Fiji as a very intense category 4 or 5 cyclone this Thursday.

The Nadi Weather Office said based on the current projections and track map, tropical cyclone Yasa has now intensified into a category 3 system and is located about 600 km northwest of Nadi, Fiji's third-largest city on the western side of Viti Levu, the main island.

Forecasters said the effects will start from later Wednesday, with continuous heavy rain and strong to gale force winds.

People living in Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Fiji's second-largest island and other islands in the island nation can expect damaging to destructive winds from Thursday.

With up to three tropical cyclones predicted to cross Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone during the 2020/2021 cyclone season, the Fijian minister for rural and maritime development and disaster management has urged Fijians to prepare early for disaster.

The tropical cyclone season runs between November and April.

In 2016, Fiji was hit by tropical cyclone Winston, killing 44 people and making extensive damage which the island nation is still recovering from. Enditem

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