10/01/2014 01h30 - Atualizado em 10/01/2014 02h30
Tonga se prepara para chegada do ciclone Ian, o primeiro da temporada
Ian foi classificado na categoria 4, em uma escala de 5.
Ele está a cerca de 260 quilômetros ao noroeste das ilhas Vava'u.
Os moradores das ilhas do norte de Tonga,
país insular do Pacífico Sul, se preparam para a chegada do ciclone
Ian, o primeiro da temporada de verão do hemisfério sul, informou nesta
sexta-feira (10) a imprensa australiana.
Ian, de categoria 4 em uma escala de 5, se encontra a cerca de 260 quilômetros ao noroeste das ilhas Vava'u e se desloca rumo ao sudeste a uma velocidade de 7 km/h, segundo a emissora australiana 'ABC'.
O diretor do Escritório Nacional de Gestão de Emergências de Tonga, Leveni Aho, alertou os residentes das ilhas do norte de seu país para que se preparem para o pior.
Estão previstos fortes ventos horas antes da passagem de Ian sobre as Vava'u e sobre outro grupo de ilhas, as Ha'apai, assim como inundações e um aumento das ondas.
Já o diretor interino do Serviço Meteorológico de Fiji, Aminiasi Tuidraki, disse que espera que Ian chegue às ilhas Vava'u no sábado de manhã, mas, devido a uma aparente perda de intensidade, o ciclone pode ser rebaixado para categoria 3.
Tonga é um arquipélago de 171 ilhas que se estendem sobre 748 quilômetros quadrados e que estão divididas em três principais grupos de ilhas: as Tongatapu (sul), onde fica a capital Nukualofa e a maior parte da população, as Vava'u (norte) e as Ha'apai (centro).
Tonga has been lashed by a powerful cyclone, destroying homes and
ripping roofs from churches and other public buildings in the populous
northern islands.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
A state of emergency was declared for two of Tonga's three island groups, Vava'u and Ha'apai, on Saturday morning as category-five storm Cyclone Ian brought heavy rain and strong winds forecast to gust at up to 287 kilometres per hour.
The storm was later downgraded from the top of the scale of destructive cyclones to category four, with gusts of up to 250kph.
The main island of Tongatapu in the south appears to have avoided the worst of the storm.
Tonga's Director of Emergencies Leveni Aho said damage to homes, churches and other public buildings was reported on Lifuka island in the central Ha'apai group and Hunga island in the Vava'u group to the north.
Three homes have been destroyed on in Vava'u, Kalolaine Kavaefiafi from child-rights organisations Plan International Australia told AAP from Tonga.
Power has been reconnected to some of the lesser effected areas of Vava'u, she added.
The extent of the damage was still being assessed, but the destruction appeared to be less extensive than Tongans had feared from the first category-five storm they had experienced in decades.
"The lucky part ... is that although it is very highly dangerous, the eye was so narrow, the extent of the damage is not what you associate normally with a category-five cyclone," Aho said. He estimated the storm's eye was less than 60 kilometres across.
He said there were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or missing persons.
While churches had been prepared as standby evacuation centers, Aho said he was not aware of people leaving their homes in large numbers.
Aho advised against travel between Tongan islands during the storm and urged residents of outer islands to stay put.
Tonga is an archipelago of 176 islands, 36 of which are inhabited by more than 100,000 people.
- AP, AAP
- © Fairfax NZ News
VEJA EM TEMPO REAL CICLONE TROPICAL IAN AQUI:
http://filosofiaclimatica.blogspot.com.br/2014/01/ciclone-tropical-ian-em-tempo-real.html
Ian, de categoria 4 em uma escala de 5, se encontra a cerca de 260 quilômetros ao noroeste das ilhas Vava'u e se desloca rumo ao sudeste a uma velocidade de 7 km/h, segundo a emissora australiana 'ABC'.
O diretor do Escritório Nacional de Gestão de Emergências de Tonga, Leveni Aho, alertou os residentes das ilhas do norte de seu país para que se preparem para o pior.
Estão previstos fortes ventos horas antes da passagem de Ian sobre as Vava'u e sobre outro grupo de ilhas, as Ha'apai, assim como inundações e um aumento das ondas.
Já o diretor interino do Serviço Meteorológico de Fiji, Aminiasi Tuidraki, disse que espera que Ian chegue às ilhas Vava'u no sábado de manhã, mas, devido a uma aparente perda de intensidade, o ciclone pode ser rebaixado para categoria 3.
Tonga é um arquipélago de 171 ilhas que se estendem sobre 748 quilômetros quadrados e que estão divididas em três principais grupos de ilhas: as Tongatapu (sul), onde fica a capital Nukualofa e a maior parte da população, as Vava'u (norte) e as Ha'apai (centro).
Cyclone Ian hits Tonga
MICHAEL FIELD
Last updated 21:33 11/01/2014
Tonga Meteorological Service
Cyclone Ian has formed a perfect eye - and is pounding Tonga.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
A state of emergency was declared for two of Tonga's three island groups, Vava'u and Ha'apai, on Saturday morning as category-five storm Cyclone Ian brought heavy rain and strong winds forecast to gust at up to 287 kilometres per hour.
The storm was later downgraded from the top of the scale of destructive cyclones to category four, with gusts of up to 250kph.
The main island of Tongatapu in the south appears to have avoided the worst of the storm.
Tonga's Director of Emergencies Leveni Aho said damage to homes, churches and other public buildings was reported on Lifuka island in the central Ha'apai group and Hunga island in the Vava'u group to the north.
Three homes have been destroyed on in Vava'u, Kalolaine Kavaefiafi from child-rights organisations Plan International Australia told AAP from Tonga.
Power has been reconnected to some of the lesser effected areas of Vava'u, she added.
The extent of the damage was still being assessed, but the destruction appeared to be less extensive than Tongans had feared from the first category-five storm they had experienced in decades.
"The lucky part ... is that although it is very highly dangerous, the eye was so narrow, the extent of the damage is not what you associate normally with a category-five cyclone," Aho said. He estimated the storm's eye was less than 60 kilometres across.
He said there were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or missing persons.
While churches had been prepared as standby evacuation centers, Aho said he was not aware of people leaving their homes in large numbers.
Aho advised against travel between Tongan islands during the storm and urged residents of outer islands to stay put.
Tonga is an archipelago of 176 islands, 36 of which are inhabited by more than 100,000 people.
- AP, AAP
- © Fairfax NZ News
VEJA EM TEMPO REAL CICLONE TROPICAL IAN AQUI:
http://filosofiaclimatica.blogspot.com.br/2014/01/ciclone-tropical-ian-em-tempo-real.html
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