Page 13 - IB May 2018 Edition

Weather

weather bulletin on behalf of the National Disaster Management
Office.
This public advisory explained the anticipated threat to specific
areas with recommended preparatory actions. “But this is no
longer happening,” he said.
People do not understand the Tropical Cyclone category system
as well and may not be able to prepare well.
Fiji Met uses the Australian tropical cyclone category system.
Based on his experience in weather forecasting, Prasad has
revealed to Island Business how regional weather offices
should adopt a new category system of their own and discard
the Australian one.
For a Category One cyclone, Prasad recommends winds should
be between 63-87kmph, with very rough seas, occasional heavy
rain with flooding and negligible damage to buildings. The
Australian model puts a Cat One winds at less than 125kmph
For a Category Two cyclone, wind recommendation is for
winds between 88-117kmph with very high seas, rain and
flooding, together with damage to trees, crops, overhead wires,
temporary shelters and weaker structures and some damage to
buildings. The Australian model has Cat Two winds between
125-169kmph.
For a Category Three cyclone, Prasad recommends the wind
category at 118-158kmph with phenomenal seas, heavy surf
and abnormally high storm tides with severe damage to trees,
crops, overhead wires, and many buildings and accompanied
by torrential rain and flooding including sea flooding of coastal
areas. The Australian model has a Cat Three winds between
170-224kmph.
For a Category Four cyclone, the recommendation is for winds
between 159-196kmph with damage the same as a Cat 3 but
worse with severe structural damage or loss of buildings. The Behind you all the way.
Australian model has a Cat Four winds at 225-279kmph.
As for a Category Five cyclone, Prasad recommends winds
should be between 196kmph with gusts up to 280kmph which
will bring widespread destruction and flooding. The Australian Sometime shipper?
model has a Cat Five winds at over 280kmph.
“We need to adapt for the Pacific Islands region. I have started We’re on your wavelength.
something and am liaising with Fiji Met to develop it further for
adoption. The idea is to use this for impact-based forecasting,” Shipping can have some interesting twists and
Prasad said. turns, which can challenge less experienced
In another development, Fiji Met Services has now taken carriers. Hamburg Süd gives you total confidence.
over the responsibility of monitoring hydrology from the Fiji
Water Authority. This has seen Fiji MET releasing flood alerts By tuning in to your precise needs we’ll prepare a
and warning. customised shipping plan including fit-for-purpose
During the approach of a severe weather system, Fiji Met equipment and the most cost-efficient port-to-port
usually starts with alerts for heavy rainfall and flooding. But or end-to-end options. Then we’ll keep watch to
Prasad sees a problem in this.
“The problem arises when flood warnings are issued too often make sure everything goes smoothly. Although
and too broadly to cover even very localised flash flooding of low with Hamburg Süd, it invariably does.
lying areas. There will hardly be a situation for the whole of Fiji
to be flooded except when a very intense cyclone cuts across the For more, please contact Williams & Gosling Ltd
country like Hurricane Kina did in 1993. Otherwise significant
flooding is mostly associated with moist, on-shore winds which n Suva: (679) 331 2633 / info@wgfiji.com.fj
dump heavy rain due to the effect of orography,” he said. n Lautoka: (679) 666 4090 / helpwest@wgfiji.com.fj
To put it simply, moist northeasterly winds will cause heavy
rainfall and flooding in north-eastern parts of the larger islands
and north-westerly winds will cause heavy rainfall and flooding
in the north-western parts.
“Providing warnings in very general terms and too often to
cover almost every localised flash flooding results in loss of cred-
www.hamburgsud-line.com

Continue on page 33

Islands Business, May 2018 13