ABC Satellite image of Cyclone Ian as of 12:00pm Tongan local time, January 9. <\/p>\n
Tonga's northern islands are bracing for the arrival of a powerful tropical cyclone which is forecast to bring hurricane force winds. <\/p>\n
Tropical Cyclone Ian is currently packing average winds of 100 kilometres per hour with gusts of up to 140 kilometres per hour. <\/p>\n
It's currently a Category Four system located about 300 kilometres north west of Vava'u and is moving south east at about five kilometres per hour. <\/p>\n
Ian is expected to remain a Category Four storm for the next 24 hours and then weaken before leaving Tonga late Sunday. <\/p>\n
Forecaster Shalwin Singh from the Fiji Meteorological Service says Tonga's northern islands will feel the brunt of Ian's fury. <\/p>\n
\"As the storm tracks south eastwards, we expect the Vava'u Group and the Ha'apai Group to be the worst affected, they will encounter the severe hurricane force winds,\" he said. <\/p>\n
\"It is a severe tropical cyclone now and close to its centre we expect the average winds to be up to 90 knots and that is quite significant. <\/p>\n
\"We expect hurricane force winds - that is above 65 knots - to be within 20 nautical miles of the centre. <\/p>\n
Ian is expected to brush below Niuafo'ou, Tonga's most northerly island, in the Niua group. <\/p>\n
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Tonga's northern islands brace for powerful cyclone<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ABC Satellite image of Cyclone Ian as of 12:00pm Tongan local time, January 9. Continue reading