Tropical Cyclone Tomas is on par with Fiji’s last devastating Hurricane Bebe in 1972, which caused immense infrastructural damage and claimed 180 lives.
Fiji’s 22,000 civil service was told to stay home and schools throughout the country closed as the category 4 tropical cyclone intensified in strength and moved closer toward the country’s second largest island, Vanua Levu, at 7 a.m. yesterday morning.
The National Disaster Council, or DISMAC, activated last Friday has been working around the clock to advise people to prepare for the onslaught of Cyclone Tomas.
In Suva, police imposed a curfew from midnight Sunday until Monday morning to allow people to make final preparations before the expected arrival of Cyclone Thomas around midday today.
According to the weather office, Tropical Cyclone Tomas was intensifying and was located near 14 decimal 7 south 179 decimal 8 west or about 215 kms. North-Northeast of Labasa or about 425 kms. north northeast of Suva early yesterday.
Close to its center the cyclone is estimated to have destructive winds of 150 km/hr increasing to 170km/hr with momentary gusts up to 230km/hr in the next 12 to 24hours.
DISMAC has warned people on the outer islands located on the path of the cyclone, especially those on the coast to move to higher grounds because of expected floods.
“Flooding to low lying areas due to associated heavy rain, including sea flooding of low lying coastal areas from storm surges,” according to the weather office.
Mariners have been warned not to go out to sea until the cyclone has passed.
A 31-year-old woman became the first victim of Cyclone Tomas. She was swept away by strong currents along Namilamila Bay in Cakaudrove after she tried to save her two children.
