Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa takes aim at Fiji
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 16, 2020 2:43 PM EST
Large amounts of sea foam formed along the shoreline of First Bay in Queensland, Australia, on Dec. 13 after a weekend of intense storms.
Following days of disorganization, the first storm of the season reached tropical cyclone strength in the South Pacific early this week and may deal a devastating blow to Fiji.
A tropical depression located east of Vanuatu strengthened late Sunday night, local time to become Tropical Cyclone Yasa. At its time of formation, Yasa packed wind speeds equivalent to a tropical storm in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Yasa remained nearly stationary for several days while churning east of the Vanuatu coast. Due to the availability of a few favorable atmospheric factors, Yasa was able to rapidly gain strength into the middle of the week.
"Favorable conditions for tropical cyclone formation, including light wind shear and warm ocean waters were in place across the region," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty explained.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa nearing Fiji as a Category 5 storm on Wednesday evening, local time. (RAMMB/CIRA)
As of Wednesday evening, local time, Yasa exploded to a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone with 10-minute average sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
After days of drifting rather aimlessly, Yasa is picking up speed and taking a general track to the east-southeast. Unfortunately, this trend to the east-southeast will likely signal significant danger for portions of Fiji through the end of the week.
With Yasa expected to track across Fiji, the heaviest rainfall and strongest winds from Yasa are likely to impact the islands.
With the current track of Yasa, a Fiji landfall is likely to occur late Thursday evening or night. At landfall, Yasa is forecast to pack wind speeds equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
With this intensity, Yasa will unleash dangerous wind gusts and torrential rainfall across the country.
Through Friday night, local time, a general 150-300 mm (6-12 inches) of rain is expected to fall across the Fiji island group, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 750 mm (30 inches).
These bands of torrential rainfall will enhance the risk for widespread flooding rainfall, coastal flooding, rough seas, destructive wind gusts and widespread wind damage. The risk for mudslides will also increase across Fiji, Douty noted.
As Yasa approaches landfall in Fiji on Thursday evening and night, destructive winds will scream across the country. Widespread destructive wind gusts of 125-260 km/h (140-160 mph) are likely across the area with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 290 km/h (180 mph). Wind gusts of this magnitude will be able to damage well-built structures and obliterate poorly constructed structures.
Conditions across Fiji are expected to improve on Friday as Yasa pulls away to the south of the country.
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Yasa will be a 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones in Fiji. This is based on the anticipated flooding rainfall and destructive winds, as well as a number of other economic factors.
In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale is based on a broad range of important factors. In order to better communicate a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm to lives and livelihoods, the scale covers not only wind speed, but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss. Some of these hazards such as inland flooding and storm surge in many storms result in more deaths and economic loss than wind.
The most recent system to make landfall in Fiji as a Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone was Winston in 2016. More recently, Harold struck Fiji in April 2020 as a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone. Harold led to the death of at least one person in Fiji.
Yasa is not the only tropical concern for the South Pacific basin this week. On the heels of the first tropical cyclone of the season to brew in the South Pacific, a second tropical cyclone bubbled to life in the basin early Monday morning, local time.
An area of disturbed weather located south of American Samoa organized enough to become a tropical depression on Sunday, local time. Due to the aforementioned availability of favorable conditions, this tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Zazu as it churned near Tonga early Monday morning, local time.
Tropical Cyclone Zazu will push generally southeast over the next few days and away from land while remaining relatively weak.
In addition to threats caused by wind and rain, both of these cyclones can stir up dangerous waves and lead to strong rip currents. Boaters should exercise caution and avoid open waters when possible.
The area of low pressure that eventually became Yasa began developing near American Samoa earlier last week as it first strengthened into a tropical depression on Friday, while to the north of Fiji.
Before developing into a tropical cyclone, this tropical low brought heavy downpours to American Samoa from Monday to Wednesday, local time. Pago Pago International Airport recorded 62 mm (2.43 inches) during this time frame, and higher amounts likely fell in the mountains of the island.
The South Pacific tropical cyclone season officially began on Nov. 1, 2020 and will run through April 30, 2021.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa takes aim at Fiji
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 16, 2020 2:43 PM EST
Large amounts of sea foam formed along the shoreline of First Bay in Queensland, Australia, on Dec. 13 after a weekend of intense storms.
Following days of disorganization, the first storm of the season reached tropical cyclone strength in the South Pacific early this week and may deal a devastating blow to Fiji.
A tropical depression located east of Vanuatu strengthened late Sunday night, local time to become Tropical Cyclone Yasa. At its time of formation, Yasa packed wind speeds equivalent to a tropical storm in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Yasa remained nearly stationary for several days while churning east of the Vanuatu coast. Due to the availability of a few favorable atmospheric factors, Yasa was able to rapidly gain strength into the middle of the week.
"Favorable conditions for tropical cyclone formation, including light wind shear and warm ocean waters were in place across the region," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty explained.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa nearing Fiji as a Category 5 storm on Wednesday evening, local time. (RAMMB/CIRA)
As of Wednesday evening, local time, Yasa exploded to a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone with 10-minute average sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
After days of drifting rather aimlessly, Yasa is picking up speed and taking a general track to the east-southeast. Unfortunately, this trend to the east-southeast will likely signal significant danger for portions of Fiji through the end of the week.
With Yasa expected to track across Fiji, the heaviest rainfall and strongest winds from Yasa are likely to impact the islands.
With the current track of Yasa, a Fiji landfall is likely to occur late Thursday evening or night. At landfall, Yasa is forecast to pack wind speeds equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
With this intensity, Yasa will unleash dangerous wind gusts and torrential rainfall across the country.
Through Friday night, local time, a general 150-300 mm (6-12 inches) of rain is expected to fall across the Fiji island group, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 750 mm (30 inches).
These bands of torrential rainfall will enhance the risk for widespread flooding rainfall, coastal flooding, rough seas, destructive wind gusts and widespread wind damage. The risk for mudslides will also increase across Fiji, Douty noted.
As Yasa approaches landfall in Fiji on Thursday evening and night, destructive winds will scream across the country. Widespread destructive wind gusts of 125-260 km/h (140-160 mph) are likely across the area with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 290 km/h (180 mph). Wind gusts of this magnitude will be able to damage well-built structures and obliterate poorly constructed structures.
Conditions across Fiji are expected to improve on Friday as Yasa pulls away to the south of the country.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Yasa will be a 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones in Fiji. This is based on the anticipated flooding rainfall and destructive winds, as well as a number of other economic factors.
In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale is based on a broad range of important factors. In order to better communicate a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm to lives and livelihoods, the scale covers not only wind speed, but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss. Some of these hazards such as inland flooding and storm surge in many storms result in more deaths and economic loss than wind.
The most recent system to make landfall in Fiji as a Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone was Winston in 2016. More recently, Harold struck Fiji in April 2020 as a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone. Harold led to the death of at least one person in Fiji.
Yasa is not the only tropical concern for the South Pacific basin this week. On the heels of the first tropical cyclone of the season to brew in the South Pacific, a second tropical cyclone bubbled to life in the basin early Monday morning, local time.
An area of disturbed weather located south of American Samoa organized enough to become a tropical depression on Sunday, local time. Due to the aforementioned availability of favorable conditions, this tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Zazu as it churned near Tonga early Monday morning, local time.
Tropical Cyclone Zazu will push generally southeast over the next few days and away from land while remaining relatively weak.
In addition to threats caused by wind and rain, both of these cyclones can stir up dangerous waves and lead to strong rip currents. Boaters should exercise caution and avoid open waters when possible.
Related:
The area of low pressure that eventually became Yasa began developing near American Samoa earlier last week as it first strengthened into a tropical depression on Friday, while to the north of Fiji.
Before developing into a tropical cyclone, this tropical low brought heavy downpours to American Samoa from Monday to Wednesday, local time. Pago Pago International Airport recorded 62 mm (2.43 inches) during this time frame, and higher amounts likely fell in the mountains of the island.
The South Pacific tropical cyclone season officially began on Nov. 1, 2020 and will run through April 30, 2021.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo