Rain predicted to lash Fiji's northern division
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Xinhua, January 29, 2012
The rain and floods are moving to Fiji's Northern Division, leaving the island nation's government worried about costs of damages.
Visitors, tourists and Fijians are being warned to be careful as another flash flood warning is now in place for another part of Fiji-- Vanua Levu (island) as confirmed by the Nadi Weather Office on Sunday.
Duty forecaster Sanjay Prakash told local media the weather condition in the Northern Division is expected to worsen on Sunday night.
Prakash said the adverse weather condition was due to a low pressure system slow moving over the Fiji's North.
He said the low pressure system will start affecting Northern Division either Sunday or Monday.
Prakash said there was also a low pressure system coming in from Vanuatu and anticipated to intensify by Tuesday.
In addition there is also an active convergence zone with tropical depression that will affect the whole of Fiji from Tuesday.
The Western Division should also anticipate heavy rain from Monday. This after they have lost over 30 million worth of damage reported so far from the flood affected areas between Nadroga to Ra.
Commissioner Western, Commander Joeli Cawaki says the figures are expected to rise as their officials have not been able to reach some areas as estimates from damage assessments were taken.
Cawaki adds the areas which have been severely affected by the floods are between the Ba and Nadi stretch.
In Ba, the areas include Votua, Nawaqarua, Natutu, Nasolo, Nailaqa, Ba town and nearby areas, Rarawai and Koronubu.
The areas in Nadi which have been severely affected by floods are near the Nadi town and Nadi river.
Cawaki said more than 3,000 people have been the worst affected in these areas of which most are sugarcane farmers. Schools in Ba will not open Monday and have been deferred for another week.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama approved the deferment of classes for students in Ba following a briefing on the effect of the recent floods in the Western Division's soccer town in the past few days.
Ba principal education officer, Kamlesh Chand says that most schools were badly affected by the floods.
Chand said schools in Ba were still without water supply and this could become a hygiene problem for students, posing health risks.
It's also still a risk for students to travel to school due to washed away roads and bridges in some parts.
There are 43 primary schools and nine secondary schools with over 15,000 students in the Ba area alone that are affected. Fijians living abroad are urged to send money to Fiji to help suffering relatives cope with their struggles.
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