TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY NUMBER 09 FOR TONGA ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO (CATEGORY 2)ISSUED FROM THE FUA’AMOTU TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE AT 12:00AM SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2020
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A TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING REMAINS INFORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA.
WARNINGS:
A STORM WARNING REMAIN INFORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA LAND AREAS AND COASTAL WATERS.
A HEAVY RAIN WARNING AND FLASH FLOOD ADVISORY REMAIN INFORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA LAND AREAS.
A HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS INFORCE FOR ALL TONGA COASTAL WATERSS.
SITUATION: TROPICAL CYCLONE “TINO” HAS INTENSIFIED INTO A CATEGORY 2 SYSTEM AT 12:00AM MIDNIGHT. IT WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.9 SOUTH, LONGITUDE 179.8 EAST OR ABOUT, 485KM WEST OF NIUAFO’OU, 685KM WEST OF NIUATOPUTAPU,720KM WEST NORTHWEST OF NEIAFU, VAVA’U, 745KM NORTHWEST OF PANGAI, HA’APAI, 775KM NORTHWEST OF NUKU’ALOFA AND 815KM NORTHWEST OF ‘EUA AT 10:00PM LAST NIGHT. ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO (CATEGORY 2) IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT THE SPEED OF 15 KNOTS (30KM/HR). THE MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR ITS CENTER IS ABOUT 50-55 KNOTS (100-110KM/HR) WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 65-70KNOTS (130-140KM/HR). ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, TROPICAL CYCLONE “TINO” IS EXPECTED TO LIE AT ABOUT 490KM WEST NORTHTHWEST OF NEIAFU, VAVA’U AT 7:00AM THIS MORNING. A GALE TO STORM FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE WHOLE OF TONGA TODAY.
FOR THE NIUAS AND VAVA’U:
STRONG TO GALE NORTH TO NORTWEST WINDS 30-45 KNOTS (60-90KM/HR), RAPIDLY INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS 55 KNOTS (110KM/HR) AT TIMES WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 70 KNOTS (140KM/HR) THIS MORNING. 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 HA’APAI, TONGATAPU, ‘EUA, TELE-KI-TONGA AND TELE-KI-TOKELAU:
STRONG TO GALE EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS 30-45 KNOTS (60-90KM/HR), RAPIDLY INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS 55 KNOTS (110KM/HR) AT TIMES WITH MOMENTARY GUSTS UP TO 70 KNOTS (140KM/HR) LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
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 THESE COASTAL WATERS ARE HEREBY ADVISED NOT TO GO OUT TO SEA. POOR VISIBILITY IN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. TIDE PREDICTION HIGH TIDE : 01:25AM (THIS MORNING)
LOW TIDE : 07:35AM (THIS MORNING) THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORDED AT FUA’AMOTU AIRPORT AT 12:00AM WAS 999.9 MILLIBARS AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 97%. THE NEXT TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY ON TROPICAL CYCLONE TINO FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED ABOUT 3:00AM THIS MORNING. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FCD: LF/TTK/PK/VV/SV/SU/ML/= CRS: TT/FL/=