AFAP manages the Australian-Pacific Centre for Emergency and Disaster Information (APCEDI) to provide news on natural disaster events in the Asia-Pacific region and to help with rapid disaster response assessment. This was originally a communications network that was activated during a disaster to disseminate information to our Asia-Pacific NGO offices. Now APCEDI has a much wider application across the Asia-Pacific Region.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

APCEDI Alert SP/FJ 05P Daman #3-2008: Cyclone Daman Bears down on Yasawas, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu

The RSMC-Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre continue to issue guidance on Cyclone Daman that formed near Rotuma, Fiji Wednesday afternoon.

The centre of Cyclone Daman is located near about 115 Kilometres to the south-southwest of Rotuma or 430 kilometres north-northwest of Nadi at 9AM this morning Fiji time.

Daman is now pulling well away from Rotuma. Rotuma experienced damaging gale force conditions yesterday afternoon and night, but there are no reports of serious damage. There are reports of minor beach erosion in isolated, exposed areas, with some damage to crops. Lots of tree limbs are down.

Daman is moving to the south at 10 km/hr, and throughout the day will increasingly bear down on Fiji starting with the Yasawa Island chain in the west. Current forecast map shows Daman passing over the Northern and Central Yasawas late tonight, and then taking a course across Northeast Viti Levu tomorrow coming ashore between Tavua and Rakiraki and then exiting the island over the Nausori-Rewa Delta area. The Cyclone will then push on into the Western Lau Group. All of Fiji, except Rotuma, remains under a Cyclone Alert with the Northwest area under a Cyclone Warning.

Cyclone Daman is currently near Category 1 strength on the Saffir Simpson Scale. It will likely maintain this strength or slightly increase when it hits the Yasawas and Viti Levu.

Residents throughout Fiji need to listen to Government warnings and rush cyclone preparation activities to a finish today in line with a Category 1-2 strength Cyclone on the Saffir Simpson Scale.

Resident and authorities in Tonga should closely watch this system as it works its way through the Lau Group. Although not threatened at this time, residents and authorities in Vanuatu, should continue to keep a close eye on this system in case of any unpredicted, rapid shifts in course.

ALERTS AND WARNINGS

FIJI

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING FOR THE NORTHWEST OF THE FIJI GROUP.
TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT FOR THE REST OF FIJI.
A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR ROTUMA.

TONGA

A STRONG WIND WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE FOR VAVAU,HAAPAI, TONGATAPU
AND EUA COASTAL WATERS.


______________________
From the RSMC-Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre

Special Weather Bulletin Number SEVEN FOR FIJI AND ROTUMA ON TROPICAL CYCLONE DAMAN ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI at 10:33am on Thursday the 6th of December 2007

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING FOR THE NORTHWEST OF THE FIJI GROUP.
TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT FOR THE REST OF FIJI.

TROPICAL CYCLONE DAMAN CENTRE [CAT 2] WAS LOCATED NEAR 14 DECIMAL 1 SOUTH 176 DECIMAL 0 EAST OR ABOUT 115 KILOMETRES TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ROTUMA AND 430 KILOMETRES NORTH NORTHWEST OF NADI AT 9AM TODAY. THE CYCLONE IS MOVING SOUTH AT AROUND 10 KM/HR AWAY FROM ROTUMA.

FOR THE NORTHWEST OF THE FIJI GROUP, EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE TO 35 TO 55 KM/HR FROM THIS EVENING AND INCREASING TO 80 TO 100 KM/HR FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

FOR THE REST OF FIJI, EXPECT WINDS TO STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT AND FURTHER INCREASING TOMORROW.

FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY, EXPECT WIDESPREAD RAIN BECOMING FREQUENT WITH HEAVY FALLS AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS AND SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY.

A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR ROTUMA. OVER ROTUMA EXPECT NORTHWEST WINDS 35 TO 50 KM/HR AND GUSTS TO 65 KM/HR EASING TO FRESH THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN GRADUALLY EASING.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ESPECIALLY FOR THE MARINERS: DESTRUCTIVE STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 40 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE. VERY HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS WITHIN 90 MILES OF CENTRE IN THE SOUTHEAST SEMI-CIRCLE AND 70 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE IN THE NORTHWEST SEMI-CIRCLE. VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS.

The next Special Weather Bulletin for Fiji and Rotuma will be issued around 2pm today.


___________________________________________________________
APCEDI will continue to monitor the progress of this system.

Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator
http://www.afap.org/apcedi/

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