Beware! More bad weather coming

6PM: TROPICAL DISTURBANCE CONFIRMED

The bad weather news continues. The Fiji Meteorological Service last night said:

• An active trough of low pressure with associated cloud and rain remains slow moving over Fiji.

• Meanwhile, a Tropical Disturbance TD13F was analysed to the far northwest of Fiji at 6pm. It is expected to develop into Tropical Depression by Sunday and possibly intensify further into a Tropical Cyclone as it moves towards Fiji.

It will bring strong to damaging gale force winds with heavy rain over the group, the Fiji Meteorological Service said.

It has been forecast that with the soil being saturated from the floods during TC Josie last weekend, there was a high risk of severe flooding. The system had potential to produce more than 120mm of rainfall in 24 hours this weekend.

The system is expected to take a similar track as Tropical Cyclone Josie, passing south-west of the Group early next week. It is likely that the system will be stronger than TC Josie and depending on how far from the group it tracks, the likely impacts may be similar or even worse if it tracks closer to land areas. Meanwhile,heavy rain in the Northern Division yesterday caused flooding in low lying areas around Labasa. Commissioner Northern Jovesa Vocea said so far in Macuata Province eight evacuation centres and one in Cakaudrove Province were activated with a total of 384 evacuees been provided shelter.

Most of these centres were schools, Mr Vocea said.

He said Police officers have been stationed at these centres to look after the security of evacuees.