The Fiji government ordered a nationwide curfew on Thursday with a cyclone expected to hit the nation within a day.
Fiji imposed a 14-hour nationwide curfew from 4 p.m. (0400 GMT) with people living in low-lying areas urged to move to higher ground before nightfall, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said in a video posted to Facebook. In the video, PM said,“The impact for this super storm is more or less the entire country." The country’s National Disaster Management Office, Police would enforce a ban on public transport. The country had declared a “state of natural disaster” which gives law enforcement authorities increased powers.
The Cyclone Yasa is expected to bring winds of up to 250 kmh (155 mph) and torrential rain across the South Pacific archipelago nation when it makes landfall by early Friday. In the video PM said, Yasa would surpaas the strength of 2016’s Cyclone Winston, he added, referring to the southern hemisphere’s most intense tropical storm on record. In 2016, the cyclone killed over 40 people and left tens of thousands of people homeless.
The nation banned the running of public transport, and was taking precautions with some 50 foreign yachts moored in the southern part of the island chain. “The boats have been moved to mangrove shelter, which provide good protection against the winds,” said Cynthia Rasch, chief executive officer of Port Denarau Marina.
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