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ISSUED FROM THE FUA’AMOTU TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE AT 08:00AM MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2019 TONGAN

TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT REMAINS INFORCE FOR TONGA.

WARNINGS FOR LAND AREAS:

A GALE WARNING REMAINS INFORCE FOR THE NIUAS, VAVA’U AND HA’APAI LAND AREAS AND COASTAL WATERS.

A STRONG WIND REMAINS INFORCE FOR TONGATAPU, ‘EUA, TELE-KI-TONGA AND TELE-KI-TOKELAU LAND AREAS AND COASTAL WATERS.

A HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS INFORCE FOR THE NIUAS, VAVA’U AND HA’APAI AND IS NOW INFORCE FOR TONGATAPU AND ‘EUA.

A HEAVY DAMAGING SWELL WARNING REMAINS INFORCE FOR ALL OF TONGA COASTAL WATERS.

SITUATION:

TROPICAL DEPRESSION TD08F WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.7 SOUTH, LONGITUDE 177.4 WEST OR 230KM WEST SOUTHWEST OF NIUAFO’OU, 430KM WEST NORTHWEST OF VAVA’U AT 07:00AM THIS MORNING. THIS SYSTEM IS MOVING SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT THE SPEED OF 10 KNOTS (18KM/HR). THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS SYSTEM TO DEVELOP INTO A TROPICAL CYCLONE IS LOW. ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, TD08F IS EXPECTED TO LIE AT ABOUT 340KM WEST NORTHWEST OF VAVA’U AND 370KM NORTHWEST OF HA’APAI AT 1:00PM THIS AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE, A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS APPROACHING TONGATAPU AND ‘EUA FROM NORTHEAST. ASSOCIATED CLOUDS, HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE GROUP.

FOR THE NIUAS:

NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS 20-25 KNOTS (37-47KM/HR), WITH MOMENTARY GUST UP TO 30-40 KNOTS (57-74KM/HR).

MOSTLY CLOUDY AND OVERCAST WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.

ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. A HEAVY DAMAGING NORTHERLY SWELL.

POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD AND SEA FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

FOR HA’APAI AND VAVA’U:

NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 20-25 KNOTS (37-47KM/HR), WITH MOMENTARY GUST UP TO 30-40 KNOTS (57-74KM/HR).

MOSTLY CLOUDY AND OVERCAST WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN, HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.

ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. A HEAVY DAMAGING NORTHERLY SWELL.

POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD AND SEA FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

FOR TONGATAPU AND ‘EUA:

EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS 15-20 KNOTS (27-37 KM/HR), INCREASING UP TO 25-30 KNOTS (47-57KM/HR) AT TIMES. MAINLY FINE FOR THIS MORNING, BECOMING CLOUDY WITH OCCASSIONAL SHOWERS, POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES STARTING THIS AFTERNOON.

ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS. A HEAVY DAMAGING NORTHERLY SWELL.

POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD AND SEA FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

TIDE PREDICTION

HIGH TIDE : 12:05PM
LOW TIDE : 06:15PM

THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORDED AT FUA’AMOTU AIRPORT AT 08:00AM WAS 1004.3 MILLIBARS AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 97%.

THE NEXT TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION 08F FOR TONGA WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 02:00PM THIS AFTERNOON.

FCD: LF/VF/STP/SU/= CRS: ST/HT/=