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Samoa is waking up from its overnight battering as Tropical Cyclone Tuni hit the Pacific nation.
The high-powered weather system dumped about 100 millimetres of rain and has brought strong winds to the popular tourist hotspot.
Local forecasters are still working to assess the damage but the nation’s capital Apia was hit by flash flooding last night, with reports of landslides and blocked roads.
Sam Ward, a New Zealander staying there, said this morning it was still raining heavily, although it had eased from last night.
“It’s quite windy. Everyone just closed up shop and just stayed indoors really,” he said.
“I didn’t see anything overly dangerous.”
The rain started about 2.30pm yesterday.
“It got really heavy around four or five. It’s been heavy since then.”
Today the rain was comparable to an Auckland storm, but last night it was that “and then some”, he said.
Mr Ward, a rugby coach, is in Samoa for a tournament, which finished yesterday.
He’s heading home to Auckland tonight and was planning a day at the beach.
“Given the weather that’s probably on the backburner.”
Lute Tauvale, the head of the Samoan Meteorology Division, said where his office was, the rain had now stopped and the cloud was thinning, although strong winds continued.
In 24 hours to this morning 80 to 100mm of rain fell in Apia. The division was yet to get data through from other locations.
The office had received reports from members of the public about last night’s weather chaos.
“Most of the city experienced a flash flood. Some of the roads were blocked. Some people calling in reported land slides on the east and northern coasts.”
Rivers were also running high, Mr Tauvale said.
The latest update issued by the division said the cyclone was centred about 157km southwest of Apia early this morning
By afternoon the system, which was intensifying, was expected to have moved to 223km south of Apia.
The division also warned of flooding in low-lying coastal areas due to high surf and to expect over-flowing rivers, slippery roads, poor visibility, flooding, landslides and flying objects.
The rain was battering Samoa’s second island of Savai’i yesterday.
At the Jet Over Hotel, a staff member said she was busy trying to find rooms for tourists whose ferries to the Upolu were cancelled.
“It’s just raining and windy,” she told NZME over the phone, with the rainfall clearly audible in the background.
Courtesy of odt.co.nz
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