Cyclone warning for Fiji

from w
Update from Fiji Times Monday morning:
Mick closes in on Yasawa
Monday, December 14, 2009
Update: 8:37AM TROPICAL Cyclone Mick lay off the northern end of Yasawa at 6am as it continued on a path towards Fiji. A tropical cyclone warning was issued for Yasawa and Mamanuca, Viti Levu, Beqa and smaller islands. Mick intensified overnight with winds of up to 8o km per hour, gusting to 100km per hour at times. Late yesterday the cyclone had winds of 65-75 kilometres per hour gusting to 90km per hour ast times.

Here is the latest special weather bulletin.
Special Weather Bulletin Number EIGHT for Fiji ON TROPICAL CYCLONE MICK
ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI at 7:59am on Monday the 14th of December 2009
CORRECTION TO DISTANCE FROM SUVA AND TIMES..
TOPICAL CYCLONE WARNING.
A TROPICAL CYCLONE STORM WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE FOR YASAWA AND
MAMANUCA, VITI LEVU, BEQA AND NEARBY SMALLER ISLANDS.
A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR THE REST OF FIJI. TROPICAL CYCLONE MICK [987HPA] CENTRE CAT 1 WAS LOCATED NEAR 16
DECIMAL 6 SOUTH 176 DECIMAL 6 EAST OR ABOUT 160 KM NORTHWEST OF NADI
OR 260 KM NORTHWEST OF SUVA OR ABOUT 300 KM WEST OF LABASA AT 8 AM
TODAY. THE CYCLONE IS INTENSIFYING. CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE THE CYCLONE
IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE AVERAGE WINDS OF 85 KM/HR WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS
TO120 KM/HR AND WINDS OF 65 KM/HR TO 80 KM.HR WITH MONEMTARY GUSTS TO
100 KM/HR WITHIN 270 KM OF CENTRE. THE CYCLONE IS MOVING TOWARDS
THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 15 KM/HR.ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE CYCLONE CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO LIE ABOUT 20
KM TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF NADI OR ABOUT 115 KM WEST-NORTHWEST OF
SUVA 7 PM TODAY AND ABOUT 145 KM TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST OF NADI OR
ABOUT 40 KM SOUTHEAST OF SUVA AT 7 AM TOMORROW MORNING. DESTRUCTIVE WINDS WILL BEGIN A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE CENTRE PASSES
OVERHEAD OR NEARBY. FOR YASAWA AND MAMANUCA, VITI LEVU, BEQA AND NEARBY SMALLER ISLANDS:
DESTRUCTIVE STORM FORCE WINDS WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 85KM/HR WITH
MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 120 KM.HR.FOR THE REST OF FIJI :
DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 65 TO 80 KM/HR WITH
GUSTS TO 100 KM/HR. FURTHER PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS.FOR ROTUMA: FRESH AND GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS. SOME RAIN AND SQUALLY
THUNDERTORMS MODERATE TO ROUGH SEAS. MODERATE NORTHWEST SWELL. The following information is provided especially for the mariners:
EXPECT WINDS OF 45 KNOTS CLOSE TO THE CENTRE INCREASING TO 55 KNOTS
IN THE NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS. VERY HIGH SEAS.
WINDS ABOVE 33 KNOTS WITHIN 150 MILES OF CENTRE. HIGH SEAS.
DAMAGING HEAVY NORTHWEST SWELLS.
VERY POOR VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.THE NEXT SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN FOR FIJI WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 11.30 AM TODAY.
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from w
From this afternoon's Fiji Tmes website:
Tropical Cyclone Mick triggers warning for Fiji
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Tropical Cyclone Mick lies 450km northwest of Labasa
Update: 4:33PM A TROPICAL cyclone warning has been issued for the northern and eastern parts of Fiji

The National Weather Forecasting Centre says Tropical Cyclone Mick is about 450km northwest of Labasa with average winds of 65-75kilometres per hour. Cyclone Mick is traveling at 10-20kilometres per hour and is expected to lie 290km west-northwest of Labasa at 3am tomorrow. Forecasters say that on its present track Mick should be 100km north-northeast of Labasa by 3pm tomorrow.

The National Disaster Management Office has been activated and residents in low-lying areas in Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Viti Levu, Yasawa, Mamanuca and Lomaiviti have been warned to take precautionary measures well in advance. Heavy rain and destructive winds are expected several hours before the cyclone passes.

This is the full weather bulletin issued at 3pm today:
Special Weather Bulletin Number THREE for Fiji ON TROPICAL CYCLONE MICK ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI at 3:33pm on Sunday the 13th of December 2009
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING.
A TROPICAL CYCLONE GALE WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE FOR VANUA LEVU, TAVEUNI, VITI LEVU, YASAWA AND MAMANUCA, LOMAIVITI GROUP AND NEARBY SMALLER ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT REMAINS IN FORCE FOR THE REST OF FIJI.
A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR ROTUMA.
TROPICAL CYCLONE MICK [995HPA] CENTRE CAT 1 WAS LOCATED NEAR 14 DECIMAL 4 SOUTH 175 DECIMAL 7 EAST OR ABOUT 420 KM NORTH-NORTHWEST OF NADI OR ABOUT 450 KM NORTHWEST OF LABASA AT 3PM TODAY. THE CYCLONE IS INTENSIFYING. CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE THE CYCLONE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE AVERAGE WINDS UP TO 65 TO 75 KM/HR WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 90 KM/HR.
THE CYCLONE IS CURRENTLY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 20 KM/HR.
ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE CYCLONE CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO LIE ABOUT 230 KM TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OF NADI OR ABOUT 290 KM WEST-NORTHWEST OF LABASA AT 3AM TOMORROW AND ABOUT 100 KM TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF NADI OR ABOUT 160 KM WEST-SOUTHWEST OF LABASA AT 3PM TOMORROW.
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS WILL BEGIN A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE CENTRE PASSES OVERHEAD OR NEARBY.
FOR VANUA LEVU, TAVEUNI, VITI LEVU, YASAWA AND MAMANUCA, LOMAIVITI GROUP AND NEARBY SMALLER ISLANDS:
STRONG WINDS INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 65 TO 75 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 90 KM/HR FROM TOMORROW.

FOR THE REST OF FIJI:
STRONG WINDS INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 65 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 85 KM/HR FROM TOMORROW NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS.
FOR ROTUMA: NORTHERLY WINDS 35 TO 55 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 80 KM/HR.
FURTHER RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. HEAVY NORTHWEST SWELL.

The following information is provided especially for the mariners:
EXPECT WINDS OF 35 TO 40 KNOTS WITHIN 150 MILES OF CENTRE.
HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY NORTHWEST SWELLS.
POOR VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
THE NEXT SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN FOR FIJI WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 7.30 PM TODAY.