Cyclone Hola Warnings Widened In Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s weather office is warning Tropical Cyclone
Hola is bringing winds of up to 95 kilometres per hour and it has widened warnings to include four provinces.
Sanma Province in the northwest which includes the islands of Santo and Malo has just been added to the Disaster Office Red Alert warning which also includes the three provinces of Penama, Malampa and Shefa.
A spokesperson for Vanuatu’s Meteorology and Geohazards Department said the system us now 20km southeast of Ambrym and 35km north of Epi.
Glen Siba said the category 2 cyclone had been moving west southwest at 11km/hr over the past three hours and its central pressure is dropping, bringing heavy rain and higher winds.
“We expect heavy rainfall, thunder storm and flash flooding actually in low lying areas and areas close to the riverbanks.
“Also we are expecting strong wind actually for coastal areas and coastal waters and high seas for Vanuatu areas.”
Penama province includes the islands of Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo; Malampa Province covers Ambrym, Malakula and Paama islands and Shefa province includes Efate, the Shepard Islands and Epi. The four provinces are expected to bear the brunt of Tropical Cyclone Hola over the next 12 to 24 hours.
Peter Korisa from Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office said they had earlier issued messages for people to prepare as the cyclone draws near.
“We issued a red alert for those provinces because the cyclone as it’s approaching wihtin the next 12-24 hours it will reach those provinces so we sort of advise them, the communities, to do some basic preparedness.”
Mr Korisa said people should also stay away from the coast as storm surges are possible with rough seas and heavy swells in Vanuatu waters.