Cyclone intensifies after about turn

PACIFIC – On Thursday evening Tropical Cyclone Amos was moving southeast and intensifying but remained largely over open water as it headed towards the Samoas.

It was still a category one storm but expected to increase to category two later today.

Cyclone Amos is expected to move east or southeast and could pass close to Samoa, Tonga and nearby islands on Saturday or Sunday.

The latest storm warning from the Fiji Weather Office said early winds of up to 90 kilometres an hour could be expected at the storm’s centre.

On Thursday morning Amos did an about turn and began heading towards Wallis.

Fiji Met Service forecaster, Misaeli Funaki, said the storm could come close to the island of Wallis today.

“Once it intensifies into a category two system it could have sustained winds of 60 knots towards the centre, and momentary gusts can extend all the way up to 85 knots, but at its closest point or closer to Wallis it should be around 50 knots close to the centre – but nonetheless that is still going to be a category two system.”

Funaki says after it passes Wallis the cyclone is forecast to dip towards the south east.

Meteorologist at New Zealand’s MetService, Bill Singh, said Amos would likely be a problem for Samoa and the northern part of Tonga over the weekend.

“It’s going to affect Samoa and probably northern parts of Tonga too.”

Meanwhile, the Samoa Disaster Management Office has issued a warning saying continuous rainfall is increasing with the risk of flooding for all low-lying areas.

It is advising all motorists and pedestrians be vigilant when travelling on roads and to not attempt to cross any overflowing rivers, bridges and fords.

The National Weather Service in Pago Pago has issued a flash flood watch for all islands of American Samoa.

The New Zealand and Fiji Met services are also monitoring another tropical depression off the southern Cook Islands.

The South Pacific tropical cyclone season has been devastating for Fiji after category five Cyclone Winston, the strongest storm on record in the South Pacific, in February, and Cyclone Zena in April.

The Nadi Weather Office says the depression which moved over Fiji last Sunday and caused flooding in Vanua Levu is still persistent to the far northeast of Fiji. - PNC sources