Cyclone Wasi moves away from Samoa

By Adel Fruean 23 February 2020, 4:36PM

A warning for Tropical Cyclone Wasi has been downgraded to a strong wind warning, as the storm continues to move away from Samoa, the Samoa Meteorology Division confirmed.  

But strong wind, heavy rainfall and flood warnings remain in effect for all of Samoa.

Weather Scientific Officer Vaaua Wilson told the Samoa Observer that the country was clear of the path of Tropical Cyclone Wasi.

“As of 4am on Sunday morning we have seen that the cyclone is moving away from Samoa,” he said.

Mr. Wilson added that, as the tropical cyclone continues to move away and the convergence zone that links with the system shifts to the north, there will be an improvement in the weather on Monday.

“The strong winds warning may be invalid in the next two days," he said. 

“Despite the cyclone moving away we are still enforcing our wind, heavy rainfall, flood warnings as well coastal advisories.

“There is another low pressure forming, it is a weak system that is not really active and at the moment it is too early to say that it will develop into a tropical depression that is the model forecast for the next few days.

“But these are model forecasts which mean we will keep an eye on it through satellite."

He said that the Meteorology Division will continue to monitor the stormfront and its movements. 

Mr. Wilson also explained why the arrival of the cyclone for Upolu had been continuously delayed.

“As the system develops into a tropical cyclone, we monitor the speed of the system from one point to another and from there we can see if it is accelerating fast or slow," he said. 

“It depends on the speed of the system; it is not really constant every time for the speed because the cyclone behaves erratically. So sometimes it is fast and other times it is slow but we measure and make calculations.

“If we forecast on the speed we observed from the last three hours it is fast then we calculate the arrival time from that speed.”

He added that for the next few days Samoa will expect diminishing rainfall because the convergence zone will shift north of Samoa and that will give way to better weather.

 

By Adel Fruean 23 February 2020, 4:36PM

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