Tonga capital battered by massive cyclone

A BATTERED Nuku’alofa began cleaning up yesterday after the most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the Tongan capital tore roofs off buildings, downed powerlines and caused extensive flooding, prompting a state of emergency in the tiny Pacific nation. Veteran disaster management officials were shocked at the fury of Severe Cyclone Gita as it unleashed 230 kmh winds on Tonga’s most populous island Tongatapu. Historic wooden buildings in the heart of Nuku’alofa, including parts of Tonga’s parliament, were reduced to matchsticks as the tempest hit overnight. Yet officials said it could have been worse. The storm did not reach a top-of-the-scale Category Five as feared and injuries were relatively light, with 33 people hospitalised, three of them seriously hurt. Howling winds cut power to Tongatapu on Monday evening and peaked in the early hours of yesterday as more than 3,000 people sheltered in evacuation centres. The military helped clear roads at first light, allowing clean-up teams to fan out and assess the extent of the destruction.