APCEDI Alert SP/WF 19P Tomas #3-2010: Cyclone Tomas Bears Down on Fiji and Futuna

The RSMC-Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre are issuing guidance on Cyclone Tomas, a tropical cyclone that is bearing down on Northern Fiji and the French Island of Futuna.

This centre of this system is currently located 130 kms northwest of Futuna and 250 kms north-northeast of Fiji's Cikobia Island. It is moving south-southwest at 6 knots. Maximum sustained winds are 70 kts making Tomas a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Most models are forecasting Cyclone Tomas to continue to slowly increase in strength and maintain a southerly course over the next 24-48 hours towards Fiji's Vanua Levu Island.

A Tropical Cyclone Warning is now in force for all of Fiji including Rotuma. A Storm Warning has been raised for Futuna and a Gale Warning is in force for the Southern Tuvalu atoll of Niulakita.

On its forecast track, Cyclone Tomas should pass about 120 kms west of Futuna this evening and into tonight. By tomorrow it should be approaching Cikobia and Vanua Levu possibly as a Category 2 Cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. This is a very dangerous situation for Northern Fiji, which is forecasted get a direct hit by the storm tomorrow into Tuesday.

The residents of Futuna, Vanua Levu, Cikobia, Taveuni, the Northern Lau Group and all surrounding islands should monitor this cyclone carefully and rush cyclone preparations to completion. All other area of Fiji, Wallis and Tuvalu should monitor the storm carefully and follow Government advice as required.

Special Weather Bulletin Number TWENTY-THREE for Wallis and Futuna
ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TOMAS ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI Mar 14/0131 UTC 2010 UTC.

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING

A STORM WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE FOR FUTUNA.
A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR WALLIS.

SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE TOMAS CENTRE 972HPA CATEGORY 3 WAS LOCATED NEAR 13 DECIMAL 5 SOUTH 179 DECIMAL 2 WEST OR 80 MILES NORTHWEST OF FUTUNA OR 180 MILES WEST OF WALLIS AT 140000 UTC. THE CYCLONE IS MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 09 KNOTS. CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE THE CYCLONE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 65 KNOTS. EXPECT WINDS OVER 63 KNOTS WITHIN 30 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE CENTRE. EXPECT WINDS OVER 47 KNOTS WITHIN 60 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE CENTRE. EXPECT WINDS OVER 33 KNOTS WITHIN 150 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE CENTRE.

ON THIS TRACK, THE CYCLONE CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO BE LOCATED ABOUT 100 MILES WEST OF FUTUNA AND 230 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF WALLIS AT 141200 UTC AND ABOUT 145 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF FUTUNA OR ABOUT 275 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF WALLIS AT 150000 UTC.

FOR FUTUNA:
EXPECT DESTRUCTIVE STORM FORCE WINDS WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 55 KNOTS WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 75 KNOTS, EASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS IN 12 TO 18 HOURS. FREQUENT HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
VERY HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS.FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS.

FOR WALLIS:
STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS 25 TO 30 KNOTS GUSTING 50 KNOTS.FREQUENT HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
VERY ROUGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS. FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS.

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS BULLETIN.

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Special Weather Bulletin Number TEN for Fiji ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TOMAS

ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI at 1:53pm on Sunday the 14th of March 2010

A TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING IS IN FORCE FOR THE WHOLE FIJI GROUP.

SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE TOMAS CENTRE 972HPA CATEGORY 3 WAS LOCATED NEAR 13 DECIMAL 5 SOUTH 179 DECIMAL 2 WEST OR ABOUT 310KM NORTH-NORTHEAST OF UDU POINT AT 1PM TODAY. CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE THE CYCLONE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE AVERAGE WINDS OF 120 KM/HR INCREASING TO 160 KM/HR WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 220 KM/HR IN THE NEXT 18 TO 24 HOURS. THE CYCLONE IS INTENSIFYING AND MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 16 KM/HR. DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS EXTEND TO ABOUT 280 KM FROM THE CYCLONE CENTRE.


FOR VANUA LEVU, TAVEUNI AND NEARBY ISLANDS AND NORTHERN LAU GROUP: EXPECT WINDS TO STRENGHTEN FURTHER TODAY AND REACH DAMAGING GALE FORCE TONIGHT WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 85 KM/HR AND MOMENTARY GUSTS OF 120 KM/HR. WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO DESTRUCTIVE STORM FORCE TO VERY DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE FORCE WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS UP TO 160 KM/HR WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 220 KM/HR TOMORROW. PERIODS OF RAIN, BECOMING FREQUENT AND HEAVY WITH SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS. FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS EXPECTED.

FOR THE REST OF FIJI :
EASTERLY WINDS STRENGHTENING TODAY. WINDS REACHING DAMAGING GALE FORCE WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS UP TO 85 KM/HR AND GUSTS TO 120KM/HR TOMORROW. PERIODS OF RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS. FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS EXPECTED.

The following information is provided especially for the mariners:
EXPECT WINDS OF HURRICANE FORCE AND PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 30 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE CENTRE. STORM FORCE WINDS AND VERY HIGH SEAS OUT TO ABOUT 60 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE CENTRE. GALE FORCE WINDS AND HIGH SEAS OUT TO ABOUT 150 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE CENTRE. STRONG WINDS AND VERY ROUGH SEAS GREATER THAN 150 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY FROM THE CENTRE.

THE NEXT SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 6.30 PM TODAY OR EARLIER

APCEDI will continue to monitor the progress of this system.

Please go to http://apcedi.blogspot.com// for the complete interactive alert on Cyclone Tomas.
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Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator

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