TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY NUMBER 04 FOR TONGA ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO (CATEGORY 1)
ISSUED FROM THE FUA’AMOTU TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE AT 06:00AM FRIDAY 17 JANUARY 2020
A TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING IS NOW INFORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA.
WARNINGS:
A GALE WARNING REMAINS INFORCE FOR THE NIUAS LAND AREAS AND COASTAL WATERS AND IS NOW INFORCE FOR VAVA’U, HA’APAI, TONGATAPU, ‘EUA LAND AREAS AND COASTAL WATERS AND TELE-KI-TONGA AND TELE-KI-TOKELAU COASTAL WATERS. .
A HEAVY RAIN WARNING AND FLASH FLOOD ADVISORY REMAIN INFORCE FOR THE NIUAS LAND AREAS AND IS NOW INFORCE FOR VAVA’U, HA’APAI, TONGATAPU, ‘EUA LAND AREAS.
A HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS INFORCE FOR THE NIUAS COASTAL WATERS AND IS NOW INFORCE FOR VAVA’U, HA’APAI, TONGATAPU, ‘EUA, TELE-KI-TONGA AND TELE-KI-TOKELAU COASTAL WATERS..
SITUATION: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 04F HAS BEEN NAMED AS TROPICAL CYCLONE “TINO” (CATEGORY 1) AT 4:00AM THIS MORNING. IT WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.6 SOUTH, LONGITUDE 176.8 EAST OR ABOUT, 800KM WEST NORTHWEST OF NIUAFO’OU, 1000KM WEST NORTHWEST OF NIUATOPUTAPU, 1105KM NORTHWEST OF NEIAFU, VAVA’U, 1150KM NORTHWEST OF PANGAI, HA’APAI, 1190KM NORTHWEST OF NUKU’ALOFA AND 1230KM NORTHWEST OF ‘EUA AT 04:00AM THIS MORNING. ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO (CATEGORY 1) IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT THE SPEED OF 13 KNOTS (26KM/HR). THE MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR ITS CENTER IS ABOUT 35 KNOTS (70KM/HR). ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, TROPICAL CYCLONE “TINO” IS EXPECTED TO LIE AT ABOUT 555KM WEST OF NIUAFO’OU AT 1:00PM BY THIS AFTERNOON. A STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE NIUAS AND THE REST OF TONGA STARTING TODAY. FOR THE NIUAS:
MODERATE TO FRESH NORTH TO NORTWEST WINDS 15-20 KNOTS (30-40KM/HR), BECOMING STRONG WINDS BY THIS MORNING 25-30KNOTS (50-60KM/HR) THEN GRADUALLY INCREASE TO GALE FORCE WINDS 35-45 KNOTS (70-90KM/HR) BY THIS EVENING. MOSTLY CLOUDY AND OVERCAST WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD IN LOW LYING AREAS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN AND HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL. VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS (6 TO 9 METERS). A HEAVY DAMAGING NORTHWESTERLY SWELL (MORE THAN 5 METERS). MARINERS OF SMALL FISHING BOATS FOR THE NIUAS COASTAL WATERS ARE HEREBY ADVISED NOT TO GO OUT TO SEA. POOR VISIBILITY IN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS.
FOR VAVA’U, HA’APAI, TONGATAPU, ‘EUA, TELE-KI-TONGA AND TELE-KI-TOKELAU:
MODERATE TO FRESH EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS 15-20 KNOTS (30-40KM/HR), BECOMING STRONG WINDS BY TONIGHT 25-30KNOTS (50-60KM/HR).
CLOUDY WITH OCCASIONAL SHOWERS, POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES. BECOMING STRONG WINDS BY TONIGHT 25-30KNOTS (50-60KM/HR) THEN GRADUALLY INCREASE TO GALE FORCE WINDS 35-45 KNOTS (70-90KM/HR) BY TOMORROW MORNING. MOSTLY CLOUDY AND OVERCAST WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD IN LOW LYING AREAS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN AND HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL. VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS (6 TO 9 METERS). A HEAVY DAMAGING NORTHWESTERLY SWELL (MORE THAN 5 METERS). MARINERS OF SMALL FISHING BOATS FOR THE NIUAS COASTAL WATERS ARE HEREBY ADVISED NOT TO GO OUT TO SEA. POOR VISIBILITY IN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. TIDE PREDICTION HIGH TIDE : 01:00PM (THIS AFTERNOON)
LOW TIDE : 07:15PM (THIS EVENING) THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORDED AT FUA’AMOTU AIRPORT AT 06:00AM WAS 1002.7 MILLIBARS AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 97%. THE NEXT TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED ABOUT 12:00PM MID-DAY TODAY. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FCD: LF/TTK/PK/VV/SV/SU/ML/= CRS: TT/FL/=
