APCEDI Alert SP/Tn 98P/08F Noname #2-2009: Cyclone Warning Discontinued for Tonga

The RSMC-Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre are continuing to issue guidance on Tropical Depression 98P/08F over Tonga.

The centre of Tropical Disturbance 98P/08F is located 220 km west-northwest of Tongatapu moving south-southwest at 8 kt. Current models show the Depression slowly weakening as it continues moving to the southwest into cooler water.

The Depression is now unlikely to become a Tropical Cyclone later today, but it will still bring strong winds to the Ha'apai Group, Tongatapu and 'Eua. Damage should be light but the storm, could pose a localised threats to areas prone to flooding and beach erosion.

The Tongan National Weather Forecasting Centre has issued the following Special Weather Bulletin:

TONGA

SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN NUMBER SEVEN ISSUED FROM NATIONAL WEATHER
FORECASTING CENTRE FUA’AMOTU AT 1:30PM WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2009.

THE TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING PREVIOUSLY IN FORCE FOR HA'APAI ,TONGATAPU AND 'EUA IS NOW CANCELLED.

THE STRONG WIND WARNING STILL IN FORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA

TROPICAL DEPRESSION 08F WAS LOCATED NEAR 20.0 SOUTH, 177.1 WEST OR ABOUT 220 WEST NORTHWEST OF TONGATAPU 10:00AM THIS MORNING. THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING SOUTH SOUTHWEST AT ABOUT 8 KNOTS.ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING AWAY FROM TONGA AND WEAKENING.

THE WEATHER FORECAST
EXPECT NORTHWEST TO NORTHEAST WINDS 25 TO 30 KNOTS GUSTING 50 KNOTS ABOUT THE HA'APAI,TONGATAPU AND 'EUA GROUPS TODAY BUT GRADUALLY DECREASING. FOR THE NIUAS AND VAVA'U, EXPECT NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25KNOTS. RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. VERY ROUGH SEAS WITH HEAVY NORTHWESTERLY SWELLS. POOR VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND SEA FLOODING IS POSSIBLE OVER LOW LYING AREAS OF HA'APAI, TONGATAPU AND 'EUA. ESPECIALLY AROUND HIGH TIDE.

TIDES

LOW 03:00PM
HIGH 09:00PM

THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORDED AT FUA’AMOTU AT 01:20PM WAS 1004.5 MILLIBARS.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION 08F. THE NEXT WEATHER REPORT WILL BE THE ROUTINE FORECAST AT 7PM TODAY.

OF/=

APCEDI will continue to monitor the progress of this system, although this will likely be the last APCEDI Alert for this system.
___________________________________________
Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator
http://www.afap.org/apcedi/

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