Weds am update: Cyclone now cat 4
Cyclone Lola, which is tracking towards Northern Vanuatu, is now a category 5 and continuing to intensify.
The cyclone is the Pacific's earliest forming category 5 cyclone outside the official beginning of the season, which starts on November 1.
In May 2017, Cyclone Donna northwest of Fiji was also a category 5 — but after the end of the season.
The cyclone is the Pacific's earliest forming category 5 cyclone outside the official beginning of the season, which starts on November 1. (Source: 1News)
Residents in the area are preparing for Lola which is expected to have winds of up to 120 knots (222km/h) at its centre and pass near the northernmost islands in the next 12 to 18 hours.
The Vanuatu Meteorology & Geo-Hazards Department said that gusts could even reach 320km/h across five of Vanuatu's six provinces in the next 24 hours.
Heavy rainfall is expected to bring flash-flooding in low-lying areas, and a storm surge is expected along the eastern coastlines of affected islands.
It's estimated there will be between 8 to 14 tropical cyclones in the Pacific area between November 2023 and April 2024.
SHARE ME