Winston Tropical Cyclone Warning Featured
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING (7:00 AM 19 FEBRUARY 2016)
A STORM WARNING REMAIN INFORCE FOR VAVA'U. A GALE WARNING REMAIN INFORCE FOR NIUATOPUTAPU, HA'APAI,TONGATAPU AND'EUA. A GALE ALERT AND STRONG WIND WARNINGS REMAIN INFORCE FOR NIUAFO'OU. A HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN INFORCE FOR VAVA'U AND NIUATOPUTAPU. A HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL WARNING REMAINS INFORCE FOR ALL TONGA COASTAL WATERS.
SITUATION:
SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE WINSTON CATEGORY 4 WAS LOCATED NEAR 17.4SOUTH AND 173.0 WEST
OR ABOUT 180KM SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NIUATOPUTAPU OR 175KM NORTHEAST OF NEIAFU AT
06:00AM THIS MORNING.THE CYCLONE IS MOVING WEST-SOUTWEST AT 14KM/HR (8KNOTS).
ON ITS CURRENT TRACK,THE CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO LIE ABOUT 120KM NORTH
OF NEIAFU AT ABOUT 01:00PM THIS AFTERNOON.NEAR ITS CENTRE,THE CYCLONE IS ESTIMATED TO
HAVE AN AVERAGE WINDS SPEED OF 165KM/HR(90KNOTS) WITH MOMENTARY GUST OF 230KM/HR(125KNOTS).
FORECAST:
FOR VAVA'U:
DAMAGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST GALE FORCE WINDS 45-55KM/HR(35-45 KNOTS)
INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS 95-110KM/HR (50-60 KNOTS) WITH
MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 130KM-150KM/HR (70-80KNOTS) FROM THIS MORNING.
CLOUDY AND OVERCAST WITH PERIODS OF RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH
SQUALLY THNDERSTORMS.EXPECT VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS IN THE NEXT 3-12HRS,
INCREASING FROM HIGH TO VERY HIGH SEAS.POSSIBLE FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS
AND A HEAVY DAMAGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST SWELL.
FOR NIUATOPUTAPU:
WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 45-55KM/HR(25-30KNOTS) AND,INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS
75-85KM/HR (40-45KNOTS) FROM THIS MORNING.MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH OCCASSIONAL SHOWERS DEVELOPING
TO RAIN, AND POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES.VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS.POSSIBLE FLOODING
IN LOW LYING AREAS AND A HEAVY DAMAGING SOUTHEAST SWELL.
FOR HA'APAI:
EXPECT DAMAGING SOUTHEAST GALE FORCE WINDS 75-85KM/HR(40-45KNOTS) FROM THIS MORNING.MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH OCCASSIONAL
SHOWERS AT TIMES.VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS.A HEAVY DAMAGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST SWELL.
FOR TONGATAPU,'EUA :
EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS 45-55KM/HR(25-30KTS),INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS 65-85KM/HR
(35-40KNOTS) IN THE NEXT 3-12HRS.MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AT TIMES.VERY ROUGH SEAS
TO HIGH SEAS, A HEAVY DAMAGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST SWELL.
FOR NIUAFO'OU:
WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 45-55KM/HR (25-30KTS),MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH OCCASSIONAL SHOWERS AT TIMES.
VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS.A HEAVY DAMAGING EAST TO SOUTHEAST SWELL.
TIDE PREDICTIONS:
LOW TIDE : 10:50AM
HIGH TIDE : 05:05PM
THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORDED AT LUPEPAU'U AIRPORT (VAVA'U) AT 07:00AM WAS
995.2 MILLIBARS, THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 95% AND THE WINDS WAS SOUTHEAST
65KM/HR(35KNOTS) GUSTING 95KM/HR (50KNOTS).
THE NEXT TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 10:00AM THIS MORNING.
