Several archipelagos of French Polynesia have been placed on cyclone pre-alert as tropical depression
“Nat”
approaches , the authorities of this French community in the Pacific announced on Wednesday.
Average winds of 80 to 90 km/h are expected, with gusts of 120 to 130 km/h.
This pre-alert concerns the archipelagos of the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands, said the High Commissioner's chief of staff, Emilia Havez, during a press briefing.
And it is not excluded that the Windward Islands, where Tahiti is located, will go into cyclone alert in the coming hours.
“Nat”
should reach the Leeward Islands during the day on Wednesday, then be
“as close as possible to Tahiti, the Windward Islands”
the next day, according to the director of Météo-France Polynésie, Philippe Frayssinet.
These two archipelagos, already heavily affected by heavy rains in recent days, bring together the vast majority of the Polynesian population.
“There are always uncertainties in terms of trajectory predictions.
It can be significantly further south or significantly further north, which completely changes the impact in terms of winds on the islands concerned
,” he added.
A previous cyclone in 2010
Heavy rainfall is expected again, as well as swells of around 4.5 to 5 meters.
The Operational Crisis Center was
“fully activated until the pre-alert levels were lifted
,” said Emilia Havez.
Schools in the two archipelagos will be closed on Wednesday.
“All public services must be able to be mobilized in the necessary situations
,” she said.
The authorities called on the population to prepare by stocking up on water and food and equipping themselves with a first aid kit.
The last passage of a cyclone in Polynesia dates back to 2010. Oli mainly hit the Austral archipelago, causing the death of a man.