Cyclone Harold’s force has been well and truly felt in Fiji with reports of flooded roads, fallen trees and damaged homes emerging from the small, battered nation – but things could be worse for Pacific neighbours Tonga.
All of Fiji’s major settlements, including the capital Suva, but particularly west coast settlements of Lautoka and Nadi, were lashed by the category four cyclone with the worst weather hitting Kadavu Island.
The Fiji Meteorological Service told RNZ the nearby Yasawa Islands had encountered “huge tidal waves”.
“There has been structural damage and mass flooding in some areas,” Misa Funaki said.
Fijian authorities have had days to prepare for the storm, which formed near the Solomon Islands before cutting a destructive path through Vanuatu.
In the Solomons, 27 people were reportedly thrown overboard and killed when a packed ferry headed off into storm waters created by Harold.
Beyond Fiji, Harold’s trajectory has it on course with Tonga later today as a category five storm after its status was elevated overnight.
Harold hit Vanuatu earlier this week as a category five cyclone and left a path of destruction, with reports 100 percent of buildings on Pentecost Island were at least damaged if not destroyed by the high winds and flooding.
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