Vessels are seen onshore ahead of Cyclone Yasa at Royal Suva Yacht Club in Suva, Fiji December 16, 2020, in this image obtained from social media. Tropical Cyclone Sarai wreaks havoc in Fiji Tonga in preparation for Sarai's arrival AFP 26 Dec 2019. The tropical cyclone has tracked south southeastward. Fiji: Tropical Cyclone Sarai - DREF Operation n° MDRFJ003, Operation update n° 1 Source. The death toll currently stands at four, although local media are carrying reports of several people still missing. Sarai was located near latitude 13.7 degrees south and longitude 176.2 degrees east, approximately 320 nautical miles north-northwest of Suva, Fiji. Holidaymakers in Fiji can only sit and wait out a tropical cyclone still hammering the small island nation. Beginning November 21, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) began highlighting the likelihood of a tropical cyclone forming between Vanuatu and Fiji. Sarai was located near latitude 13.7 degrees south and longitude 176.2 degrees east, approximately 320 nautical miles north-northwest of Suva, Fiji. Fiji braces for Cyclone Sarai. On the projected track, TC Sarai will continue moving on this path for the next 18 to 24 hours before it is expected to south-eastwards and … Fiji cyclone leaves two missing, 119 in emergency shelter. Wellington (AFP) – Tropical Cyclone Sarai was brewing off the coast of Fiji Friday, threatening the plans of thousands of tourists who flock to the South Pacific island nation over the Christmas-New Year holiday period. Imagery from microwave satellite data showed emergent rainbands wrapping towards an organising center of low pressure. Anticipate high winds, flooding, and storm surges,” the SmartTraveller website stated on Saturday. Tropical Cyclone Sarai has been tracking through the provinces of Kadavu and Lau in Fiji as a Category 2 storm since Friday 27th December 2019. Tropical Cyclone Sarai has lashed Fiji with heavy rain and destructive winds Tropical Cyclone Sarai has lashed Fiji with 140km/h winds forcing … Central pressure is around 985 mbar. For example, 0000 UTC Saturday is 1200 Saturday Fiji time. The cyclone is moving south at about 20km/hr and is expected to turn and move southeast from later tonight. Tropical Cyclone Sarai is slowly moving away from Fiji, leaving behind damage to homes, crops and some infrastructure across the Fiji group. Tropical Cyclone Sarai continues to batter Fiji, with gale-force winds, heavy rain and large waves causing power outages and flooding across the country. One person was killed in Fiji and one was missing as tropical cyclone Sarai battered the country with strong wind and heavy rain, authorities said. Giant waves feared as Fiji braces for Category 5 Cyclone Yasa Government warns of flash floods and waves up to two-storeys high in areas with a population of more than 850,000, or … FIJIAN INDEPENDENCE TC Sarai was located approximately 240km to the northwest of Yasawa-i-Rara at 3am and is moving southwards at 35km/hr. The tropical storm’s center is expected to stay over water, just southwest of Fiji. Nearly 2,000 people took refuge in emergency shelters and one man was missing after being swept away in floodwaters as Tropical Cyclone Sarai pounded Fiji on December 28 causing widespread damage. The body of a man has been found in Fiji after he went missing in … “Tropical Cyclone Sarai is expected to make landfall in Fiji on 27 December. Tropical Cyclone Sarai was declared a category one system at three o'clock this morning by the Fiji Meteorology Service with forecasters predicting it will strengthen to category two storm before it reaches Fiji tomorrow. A Ministry of Forestry team helps clear debris in the wake of the cyclone. Now upgraded to a … Airlines have cancelled and rescheduled flights to Fiji as a category 2 … Tropical Cyclone Sarai was located about 175km southwest of viwa or about 180km west-southwest of Nadi in the last hour. As we discussed yesterday, a new tropical system – Tropical Cyclone “Sarai formed near Fiji, moving south-southeast, just west of the main island Viti Levi and gradually deepening. The Fiji Meteorological Service warned of "damaging gale force winds" and heavy rain with coastal flooding expected in some areas as the We could not even travel to our Saturday reservation up in RakiRaki due to the road shutdown and unsafe conditions. Trees were down, flooding and even sink holes were reported. The tropical cyclone has tracked south southeastward. Topics: Fiji About 7,000 people remain in evacuation centres across the country, the government said. More holiday makers are expected to be affected today as tropical cyclone Sarai continues to threaten Fiji. Sarai, the southwest Pacific Ocean's latest named tropical cyclone, will track dangerously close to Fiji with downpours and strong winds into the weekend. Nonetheless, Fiji was lashed with winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour and torrential rain. Fiji time is UTC +12 hours. Two people have been killed and more than 2000 people evacuated. Close to its centre the cyclone is expected to have average winds of up to 95km /hr with momentary gusts to 130km/hr. Attachments. Tropical Cyclone Sarai barrelled off the coast of Fiji early Saturday, forcing hundreds of residents to move to higher ground ahead of possible flooding. Hundreds flee lowlands as Cyclone Sarai sweeps past Fiji. The Fiji … Fiji's Emergency Operations Centre has indicated damage from Cyclone Sarai is extensive. As of earlier Sunday evening, the cyclone’s eye was northwest of Ono-i-Lau and tracking towards Tonga. Maximum sustained winds are near 55-60 knots (= 65-70 mph / 100-110 km/h), a solid Category 2 Tropical Cyclone strength. This from Island transfer company South Seas cruises. Fiji Airways and other airlines cancel flights Nadeem Sarfraz Video taken in Suva, Fiji on December 28 as Cyclone Sarai approaches. The Fiji National Disaster Management Office said one person was in intensive care and more than 2,500 people had moved to 70 evacuation centres. Jan 17, 2020. *The Nadi - Tropical Cyclone Centre was officially designated by WMO in June 1995 as a Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) with activity specialization in tropical cyclones tasked to provide "first-level" information in tropical cyclones (ie, basic information covering the tropical cyclones' present and forecast position, movement and intensity) in the South-West Pacific Ocean. Category two Sarai did not make landfall in Fiji, rather skirting south-east around Viti Levu. Photo: Twitter / Fiji Ministry of Forestry The storm battered large areas of Fiji for three days but overnight the system moved on. A radio host and her husband were forced to hide in their boarded-up resort room in Fiji as a devastating tropical cyclone wreaked havoc outside. Latest from the weather from Fiji Meteorology Service. Various government agencies and news outlets have advised that Tropical Cyclone Sarai is expected to make landfall in Fiji today, possibly escalating to a Category 2 cyclone, with heavy winds and rain continuing. The cyclone reached its peak intensity on 20 February, with ten-minute sustained winds of 280 km/h (175 mph) and a pressure of 884 hPa (mbar; 26.10 inHg), shortly before making landfall on Viti Levu, Fiji. We (family of 2 adults & 2 young girls) were forced to evacuate. And some infrastructure across the Fiji National Disaster Management Office said one person was in intensive care more... 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