Cyclone

I just received a DFAT warning about a cyclone on Tongatapu. I hope folks are OK.

(I am having difficulty posting it here, I'll try again)

here it is:...

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Dear Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident

Please find below the latest information we have about Cyclone Cliff. To
convert UTC time to local time add 13 hours, i.e. UTC0600 equals 7.00 pm.
Cyclones are unpredictable, it may pass west of Tonga moving south or could
change course and pass over Tonga.

Regards

John Mahler
Senior Administrative Officer and Consul
Australian High Commission, Nuku'alofa

Cyclone Alert �
An alert has just been announced for Tonga (while we were speaking on the
phone) and the attached just arrived from Nadi (recd. 10.13am):
WWTO40 NFFN 042100 ~

Special Weather Bulletin Number ONE for Tonga on TROPICAL CYCLONE CLIFF
ISSUED FROM RSMC NADI Apr 04/2213 UTC 2007 UTC.

TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT.

A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT IS NOW IN FORCE FOR TONGATAPU AND EUA.

A STRONG WIND WARNING REMAINS IN FORCE FOR CENTRAL TONGA.

TROPICAL CYCLONE CLIFF [990HPA] CENTRE WAS LOCATED NEAR 19.3 SOUTH 177.7
WEST OR ABOUT 175 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF NOMUKA OR 180 MILES NORTHWEST OF
NUKU'ALOFA OR 190 MILES WEST OF HA'APAI AT 042100 UTC.

CLOSE TO ITS CENTRE THE CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AVERAGE WINDS UP TO 40
KNOTS WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS OF 60 KNOTS.

THE CYCLONE IS MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS. ON THIS TRACK THE
CYCLONE CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO LIE ABOUT 115 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF
NUKUALOFA OR 130 MILES WEST OF NOMUKA OR 160 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF
HAAPAI AT 050300 UTC AND ABOUT 65 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF NUKUALOFA OR 110
MILES SOUTHWEST OF NOMUKA T 050900 UTC.

FOR TONGATAPU GROUP, EUA AND NEARBY SMALLER ISLANDS:

EXPECT NORTHERLY WINDS WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS AND MOMENTARY
GUSTS OF 50 KNOTS POSSIBLY INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WINDS LATER
THIS AFTERNOON OR DURING THE EVENING. HEAVY RAIN BECOMING FREQUENT WITH
SQUALLY THUDNERSTORMS. SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS. VERY ROUGH
TO HIGH SEAS.

DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS.

FOR THE REST OF TONGA:

NORTHEAST WINDS 15 KNOTS, INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KNOTS OVER CENTRAL TONGA
WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS. PERIODS OF RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES AND
SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS. SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS LIKELY
ESPECIALLY ABOUT CENTRAL TONGA. ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY
SWELLS ALSO EXPECTED.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ESPECIALLY FOR MARINERS:

EXPECT GALE FORCE WINDS WITHIN 60 MILES OF CYCLONE CENTRE WITH HIGH SEAS.
SEAS ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH OVER SOUTHERN TONGA INCREASING TO HIGH SEAS THIS
EVENING.

ELSEWHERE MODERATE TO ROUGH SEAS. MODERATE TO HEAVY SWELLS.

THE NEXT SPECIAL WEATHER BULLETIN FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 050400
UTC.

John Mahler
Senior Administrative Officer
Australian High Commission, Nuku'alofa
<hr></blockquote>

Hi from Nuku'alofa,

Wind is cyclone-somewhere-off-west type of wind, but not coming-directly-here type. The weather bulletin No 3 is still almost the same as your post.

No one is putting up cyclone protection boards on windows. It should be OK by tomorrow morning, I think.

Thanks for your concern.

Good morning from Nuku'alofa.

Cyclone is gone, and sun is out, with a bit of rain and wind. I hope this was the first and the last cyclone alert for this season. Cheers.