Prayers for those in Tonga and Fiji

[Stormswift]

Cyclone Gita category four - has just flattened the tiny South Pacific island of Tonga ... while there have been, so far, no reported deaths, there is complete devastation.

Australia and New Zealand have started already to render aid ... which I'm very impressed with. 

 

No doubt the brothers in the Australasia branch are also rendering aid to our dear brothers and sisters. Our heart and prayers go out to all in Tonga and more especiallly those related to us in our faith.

 

It is now heading towards Fiji ... then on to New Zealand probably - but they are expecting it to be an ex-cyclone because of the cooler waters around New Zealand. 

Fiji may still though be in danger by devastating winds and high tides.

 

 

 

[Stormswift]

*waves to Whitley - hello there. Much love xxx

[humble bumble bee]

BBC News:

Tonga parliament building flattened by Cyclone Gita

 

Quote

Things like this really put life and what's important in life into perspective.

 

 

[Stormswift]

Just a note on a personal level - JW.org has an RTO in Tonga, and a couple who was in our congregation are living there ... so have not heard how they are as yet - still waiting ... but with no reported deaths announced on television last night - that is good news. 

 

Fiji looks like its going to swiped by the tail of this cyclone ... as it's vering South West towards NZ.

 

Looks like we might be in for a rough time next week - but nothing compared to Tonga and it's surrounding Islands.

 

Will keep you posted if the storm strengthens but i'm confident it isn't going to.

 

 

[Allabord4Jah]

It makes me see how much we need the Kingdom to rule over this planet.  Tonga, and so many other places leaving such destruction behind and the lands or islands to poor to repair and fix, get proper water supplies, food and medical help.  My  prayers are for all our brothers and sisters worldwide, including our brothers and sisters mention here! 

 

 

[Whitley M]

4 hours ago, Stormswift said:

*waves to Whitley - hello there. Much love xxx

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Stormswift]

Update on this ... which is unusual activity because the further south tropical cyclones go ... the weaker they usually become (at least below the equator haha).

Problem here is NZ waters aren't as cold as they usually are in fact we are enduring our hottest Summer for a many years ... it's strengthened to a category five right now - and while it will still lose strength before it reaches NZ ... it will now possibly be a cat 1 or 2 rather than just a tropical storm.

 

Heading for the West Coast of the North Island, Sun night through to wednesday of next week.

 

Interesting report here:

 

http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/cyclone-gita-now-category-5-storm-likely-make-landfall-nz-next-week

[Whitley M]

12 hours ago, Stormswift said:

Update on this ... which is unusual activity because the further south tropical cyclones go ... the weaker they usually become (at least below the equator haha).

Problem here is NZ waters aren't as cold as they usually are in fact we are enduring our hottest Summer for a many years ... it's strengthened to a category five right now - and while it will still lose strength before it reaches NZ ... it will now possibly be a cat 1 or 2 rather than just a tropical storm.

 

Heading for the West Coast of the North Island, Sun night through to wednesday of next week.

 

Interesting report here:

 

http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/cyclone-gita-now-category-5-storm-likely-make-landfall-nz-next-week

Oh my!! Praying for you guys! The weather is reqlly out of control! 

[Stormswift]

Latest update is ... Gita is still a very strong Category 3 ... the tail of her is already affecting tides in Auckland New Zealand 2-3 metres. 10-15 metre swells at the centre of this storm. They are expecting it to downgrade  to a category 2 Cyclone, as it slams into the West Coast of NZ ... two models have different scenarios, at the top of the south island is one ... which means Wellington, and up the coast to where I live will experience severe gales and heavy rain. Scenario two ... My hometown being hit directly with up to the Waikato being affected. A little too early to know for sure.

 

We have updated our emergency kit and to water and catfood and meds so we don't have to go out. Delegated safe places in our house and tied down outside furniture. Should be okay tomorrow ... but from tomorrow night onwards we will start feeling it. Suffocatingly hot here ... got sunburnt today so I look like a radish.

 

Update on weatherwatch.co.nz each day to show the path.

NZ homes are usually well built because of our earthquakes so hopefully we fare quite well.

Will pop on when I can in the next few days. I'm sure the Australasian branch is watching this storm very closely.

 

Ill be back when I can.

[Musky]

Take care Mandi! And don't take any chances. You're in our prayers.

[Stormswift]

We are pretty tough down here, thanks for your thoughts Musky. Sad thing is if we take a hit our efforts to help Tonga takes a dive ... but I'm sure the brothers are all sorted and ready to go if they have to. 

[tekmantwo]

5 minutes ago, Stormswift said:

We are pretty tough down here, thanks for your thoughts Musky. Sad thing is if we take a hit our efforts to help Tonga takes a dive ... but I'm sure the brothers are all sorted and ready to go if they have to. 

Appreciate the update Sis, you and Tom stay safe and dry. Like Musky said, y'all are in our prayers. ..

[Stormswift]

Awww thank you ... at least a cat 2 is a far cry from what poor Tonga got. And we aren't as isolated as they were. 

But this is a very rare and unusual event for NZ ... if our waters (Oceans) are 26 degrees or higher it could intensify the storm, below that we will be fine, currently they are 24 degrees.

We have a massive storm coming up from down south as well  - which is bigger but not as intense as Gita - if they collide we will have a cold storm cell slamming into Gita - the professionals are worried about this if it happens over NZ, but if it happens off to the East of NZ mid-late week next week - we'll be fine. Again, there are more than two projections from the experts as to what will happen. 

 

 

[tekmantwo]

1 minute ago, Stormswift said:

 Again, there are more than two projections from the experts as to what will happen. 

 

 

Yeah,  I just read a couple of met reports, it's looking like a central hit so you will be getting some of it for sure..

[Stormswift]

Miss Bea - Mignonne is probably going to get hit too if you wanted to message her. xxx

[Whitley M]

8 hours ago, Stormswift said:

Miss Bea - Mignonne is probably going to get hit too if you wanted to message her. xxx

Thinking about you sister!!!! Hope everything is well! Xoxo 

[Stormswift]

It will - for all of us my darling sis ... no matter what trials we face. I

[Stormswift]

The projection is that Cyclone Gita will be further South, so while we will still get some messy weather - the eye seems to be hitting Wellington - Top of the South Island or possibly even further south. I can see the black clouds now we get the first part of the cyclone today - but the full impact won't be until tomorrow.

 

At the very least there will be property damage further down south - so those are the brothers and sisters who need your prayers and thoughts. I'm expecting us to be just fine apart maybe from the odd tree that gets blown over.

[Good-O]

I hope you all fare well.  All are in my prayers.  

[Stormswift]

Starting to get scary now ... sitting here on my bed with my ranch slider open, but we will have to close it soon as the gusts are becoming incredibly strong. My willow is leaning over.a lot ... power lines are swaying. The clouds are moving very fast overhead. We are expected to get full blast in another few hours - the eye is still expected to hit further down South.

 

I can hear Tom swatting flies as they are seeking refuge in our house - grrrr.

 

The cat is meowing at me not liking the weather at all.

 

It's sooo hot here, it's hard to breathe away from the cool breezes of the fans. Feels like someone has turned some heaters on.

 

We have just filled all our containers and buckets with water, plus we have water from the swimming pool we can use for washing clothes etc should the worst happen.

 

New Plymouth - 2 hours to the west of us are having multiple callouts ... powerlines down already ... not that bad here - yet.  

 

What we are experiencing is a strong category one EXTRA-TROPICAL cyclone, which is a cyclone that has collided with the weather system I spoke about earlier, and that means a cold core instead of a warm tropical core. The storm is much bigger than it was, but not as strong which is good. More rainbands than in a normal cyclone ... so widespread flooding in the South Island maybe even Wellington is expected. Will be a rough night for NZ.

 

By way of distraction hope you guys don't mind if I pop in and give regular updates - as long as I'm able that is.

 

PS: Expecting 100-120 sustained winds - up to 140 kmh gusts.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by Stormswift

[Tortuga]

Please do, we're worried now...

[Stormswift]

Just heard of reports of houses losing their roofs and garden sheds been blown away in Hawera which is one hour West of us.

 

Evacuations due to flooding are starting in the South Island.

2 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Please do, we're worried now...

 

Thank you that means a lot that I can talk with you guys. I don't have data on my phone due to work muck-up (i use my business phone). So I need to make sure someone knows we are okay. Which we will be of course ... positive thinking here.

[Stormswift]

We don't have television only radio and the net. So I'm keeping abreast of things on a forum on a site  that is like eBay. As soon as something happens they report here even before the news media.

 

This is one of the many threads I'm following ... (I'm manukarose1 on this site).

• Just read on twitter, the cyclone is hitting Taranaki hard at the moment. Multiple call outs to emergency services there.

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  brett21 (40 ) 5:23 pm, Tue 20 Feb #1

• Well to be honest I live on top of a hill looking right at the “hill” behind me Mt Taranaki,wind is whipping us but have had far worse.As someone else eluded to in another post the press love to whip us all into a frenzy of doom n gloom,creates far more sensationalism than the actual facts.

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  happychappy50 (20 ) 5:37 pm, Tue 20 Feb #2

• new plymouth has a good spot of wind, no damage here yet, if so tough, mother nature is tougher than people. so no whinging.

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  reeb (453 ) 5:37 pm, Tue 20 Feb #3

• Stratford has a tree down on its main road.

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  coolnzmum (560 ) 5:50 pm, Tue 20 Feb #4

• brett21 wrote: 

  Just read on twitter, the cyclone is hitting Taranaki hard at the moment. Multiple call outs to emergency services there.

   

  It's not due to full force tonight - Hope they are safe ... I'm in Wanganui and the wind is building along with the heat - thanks for posting. This should not be taken lightly until it can be taken lightly.

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  manukarose1 (211 ) 5:51 pm, Tue 20 Feb #5

• I am in Waitara Taranaki and we have had 6 fire sirens go off since 3 pm and theres now a live power line sparking on my daughters front lawn. Emergency services are so busy could be awhile. Havnt seen wind like this for years.

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  dcm30 (506 ) 5:55 pm, Tue 20 Feb #6

• bad here in blagdon

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  crunchchunk (2 ) 5:55 pm, Tue 20 Feb #7

• Lots of house and shed roofs missing. Some sheds have blown away completely near Hawera.

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  blair100 (318 ) 6:57 pm, Tue 20 Feb #8

   

  As you can see some are taking it lightly ... but it's really picked up in the last hour.

   

  http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/gita-no-longer-tropical-still-a-cyclone-with-severe-gales-4-maps This is one of the updates.

Edited February 20, 2018 by Stormswift

[Tortuga]

How long is it expected to last?

[Stormswift]

Should be over by dawn tomorrow ... the worst passed by 1 am in Wanganui ... but the eye will be heading east ... so those in the east coast will get the remnants. That is if the cyclone acts as predicted.

 

It's currently 7.23 pm.

Edited February 20, 2018 by Stormswift