Met Office warns of above normal rainfall

The Fiji Meteorological Service has forecasted that El-Nino will continue to persist within the tropical Pacific Ocean this month.

Fijians are advised to be prepared because the nation is still into the cyclone season and the development of a tropical disturbance

or depression can result in above normal rainfall.

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Tomasi Tunabuna said everyone, especially farmers must be prepared. “Whether there is heavy rain fall possible enough to cause flood in low lying areas or dry spell, people need to be prepared,” he said. “Heavy rain warning remains in force for the whole of Fiji and this is not the first time for people to experience so by now they should be well aware of where to get weather news updates.”

What farmers can prepare

Livestock farmers residing in low lying areas should have already secured a place on a higher ground to keep their animals safe. “They should have by now have knowledge of how to preserve fruits, root crops and vegetables so they can use it during dry spell or wet weather,” Mr Tunabuna said. He believes a lot of awareness, training and workshops have been done to assist people on how to response to natural disaster.

“It is up to farmers whether they want to be proactive or not to prevent damage to property and loss of lives,” he said.

“People must keep waterways and drain clean at all times because some drains are blocked due to piled up rubbish, which leads to flooding of streets and roads.”

Historically, Fiji experiences below normal rainfall during an El Nino event.