FUNAFUTI – Just weeks after an impassioned plea to the world, the nation of Tuvalu is being battered by the over-whelming Pacific.

It’s the second time this year that the 10,000 people, all living on low-lying atolls, have been hit by wild weather. Earlier this year many of its atolls were reshaped by a severe depression that later grew into the Category Five Cyclone Pam, which laid waste to Vanuatu.

Satellite pictures show that large depressions are building in the now very warm waters between the Solomons, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tokelau and Samoa.

A large number of homes across Tuvalu have been destroyed in the heavy rain and winds and one large fishing boat has been driven aground in Funafuti. A cargo ship is also in trouble.

On Wednesday the director of Tuvalu Met Service, Tauala Katea, said two tropical depressions had formed near Tuvalu and were intensifying.

He said they would continue to be hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms and gale storms.

Ominously for islands just five metres above sea level, Katea said they were expecting very rough seas with heavy northwest swells three to five metres high.

Storm conditions were expected to run into New Year.

The Tuvalu Media Department reports that already the storm has forced fishing vessel Taivalu aground.

From Nui Island it said seven homes were destroyed and eight local kitchens completely destroyed. Many large trees have been destroyed.

People living on the western coast have been evacuated and moved to the Vaipuna Primary School.

Communications with Tuvalu are frequently down as the storm runs over the nation.

Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga has just returned after his efforts in leading the Pacific nations at the Paris COP21 negotiations on climate change.

Other island nations of the South Pacific have been hit hard by flooding this week after days of heavy rain.

The Samoa Disaster Management Office says rivers throughout the country have overflown their banks, and the public is being warned to not attempt to cross them.

Residents of Fugalei, Saleufi, Taufusi and other low-lying areas in Apia faced anxious nights as the heavy rain continued to belt the capital.

Some families had to evacuate their homes, fearing the worst.

But it wasn’t just the town area that was affected. In rural villages, there were instances of landslides affecting travel on the east side of Upolu. A couple of bridges were also damaged by swollen rivers.

Lina Fo’iloto, of Fugalei, told the Samoa Observer the flooding has become all too common at this time of the year.

“In front of Farmer Joe and the Frankie’s mall, the flooding was like a river,” she said. “It was almost impossible for higher vehicles to cross.”

“I tell you, it was like a river here early this morning. Some people used boats and wooden made things to get around because the water was that deep.”

“Life is really hard for us when it reaches the rainy season because the floods bring rubbish and the place ends up looking like a rubbish dump. It really annoys us.”

Other residents share the same concerns.

“Our kitchen got covered with water,” said one of them. “We don’t know how we are going to cook our food.”

For some families in the area, they say they want to rebuild their homes so that their foundations are elevated.

However, the land does not belong to them and, although many of them have been living in the area for many years, the landowners will not allow them to rebuild, they say.

In the meantime, with the Met Office forecasting more rain, these people face more anxious moments, the Samoa Observer reports.

On Tueday, the Meteorology Office reissued a heavy rain warning for Samoa, advising members of the public to be alert over the coming days.

The warning comes as a trough of low pressure remains within the vicinity of Samoa, bringing continuous heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Luteru Tauvale of the Samoa Met Office confirmed that an active convergence zone is responsible for the bad weather.

“This is the main reason why we are experiencing the rain and bad weather conditions at the moment,” he said.

“Tropical disturbances are possible to develop along this convergence zone within the next few days and we are continuing to monitor the situation.”

Tauvale said an advisory has already been issued for small crafts and alia fishing boats.

“There is a wind advisory for all of Samoa, as well as a heavy rain warning with possibility of floods at vulnerable areas. These conditions are expected to persist throughout the week.”

Asked about the possibility of a cyclone, Tauvale said there is a “fifty- fifty chance.”

Heavy rain also continues in American Samoa where there has been landslides, flooding and other weather related incidents. The last week of 2015 may have set records for rainfall in American Samoa.

Authorities have urged people to not try to drive through and against currents – and those living near streams have been advised to temporarily move away.

Meteorologist Carol Maafala Baqui confirms that a South Pacific convergence zone, which also acts as a trough, is responsible for the incessant downpours since the weekend.

A tropical depression that has formed near the Solomon Islands continues to move southeast towards Tuvalu and is expected to pass through the southern part of Tuvalu in the next 24 or 48 hours.

The other active low pressure formed at the southeast of Tuvalu near Samoa is also intensifying and moving slowly towards the south.

Tuvalu continues to be affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms and gale force storms from west to southwest at 30 to 35 knots on land areas and up to 45 knots on open waters triggering three to four metre waves.

New Zealand’s Met Service says there is a moderate to high potential for two tropical cyclones to lie in the Southwest Pacific Thursday to Saturday.

One system lies near Fiji and is expected to move southwest out of the tropics Friday to Saturday. Another system may move south of Samoa in the area between Niue and Fiji.

The Fiji Meteorological Service is closely monitoring the development of both the tropical disturbances and other low pressure systems to the North of Fiji.

Director Ravind Kumar confirmed these are tropical disturbances 05F and 06F.

He said at this stage, Fiji was under no threat – however members of the public were advised to remain cautious.

“As members of the public will be moving around during this festive season, they are encouraged to remain alert and keep updated with latest weather bulletins,” he said.

Heavy rain is expected to hit New Zealand’s Far North and the East Cape early Friday.

Weather officials say storm fronts are also building near the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific and are being monitored closely by weather officials from Hawai‘i to Guam.

Forecasts indicate Majuro and other islands in the Marshalls could be hit with 40-to-50 knot winds later this week as the first storm moves on a westerly track that will take it south of Majuro heading toward neighbouring Federated States of Micronesia.

The storm front was to the east of Majuro and was expected to begin producing high winds and rainfall by Thursday.

Another storm is farther east of the Marshall Islands and could be a threat next week if it continues developing.

Forecasters say the strong El Niño weather conditions in the region increase the likelihood that the storm now to the east of the Marshall Islands could turn into a tropical storm or a typhoon.

In November, Guam-based weather officials warned that the Marshalls was likely to see one or more serious storms through January because of the El Niño weather conditions.

- PNC