Cyclone Gita: Tonga declares state of emergency as storm strengthens
Source: The Guardian
Cyclone Gita: Tonga declares state of emergency as storm strengthens
The category four storm has already caused widespread damage in neighbouring Samoa and American Samoa and is due to hit Tonga at night
Eleanor Ainge Roy
Mon 12 Feb 2018 02.34 GMT Last modified on Mon 12 Feb 2018 11.32 GMT
The island nation of Tonga has declared a state of emergency as it braces for the wrath of Tropical Cyclone Gita, which is bearing down on the island nation after causing widespread damage in neighbouring Samoa and American Samoa.
The Tongan government declared a state of emergency on Monday morning to allow its 100,000 inhabitants to prepare for the category four storm. Gita is expected to intensify into a category five storm in the coming hours, and is heading for Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia later in the week.
The cyclone was expected to hit Tonga at about 8pm local time. Evacuation centres had instructed people to be inside by 6pm.
Polikalepo Kefu, Tonga’s Red Cross communications manager, said the majority of Tongans were “very fearful”.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/tonga-state-of-emergency-cyclone-gita-storm-strengthens
