Two tropical cyclones heading for the Cook Islands by Carol Kirkwood
Two tropical cyclones are bearing down on three South Pacific island nations creating what is being described as a ‘critically dangerous situation’.
Cyclones Olaf and Nancy, which (at the time of writing) are on track to hit Samoa, American Samoa and the Cook Islands, could cross paths creating one giant, destructive storm centre where the two cyclones spin around one another until one is flung off in a fairground ride type of motion. In meteorological terms this is known as the ‘fujiwara’ effect.
Cyclone Nancy, heading to the Cook Islands from the north, peaked as a strong Category 4 storm yesterday. The cyclone is so large that for the last few days its outer bands of rain and thunderstorms have been affecting some of the attols, with the eye now fast approaching.
‘Olaf’ intensified into a Category 4/5 yesterday, and is currently making its presence felt in the US territory of American Samoa. The National Weather Service says the storm’s maximum sustained winds are hitting 250-280 km/h (155-170 mph).
The track of the cylone is expected to continue southeastwards to the southern Cook Islands, one of the region’s main tourist destinations, which suffered significant damage from Cyclone Meena last week.
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches have been issued for a total of seven island nations as the two storms track southeast across the South Pacific.
The Cook Islands Meteorolgical Office said Nancy was still about 480 km (300 miles) north of the southern atolls of Rarotonga and Aitutaki, but it hoped the storm would weaken over the next 24 hours.
Authorities in Australia have warned the Cook Islands which lie to the southeast of Samoa, that they could be hit by both cylones within 24 to 48 hours.
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