Cyclone Donna hits Vanuatu

Cyclone Donna causes destruction as it moves across Vanuatu

Tropical Cyclone Donna continues to wreak havoc on Vanuatu's northern group with its destructive storm force winds and heavy rain.

Rooves fly off in Torba province Photo: Vanuatu Red Cross

Radio NZ,

6 May, 2017

Reports of destruction are emerging from Vanuatu's northern Torba province as Cyclone Donna moves across the country.

The category three system is packing winds as high as 205 kilometres an hour.

At 5:00am local time today, Cyclone Donna was 245 kilometres west northwest of Torres and 365 kilometres west northwest of Vanua Lava.

The system is moving in a north northwest direction at 14 km/h.

In Torba, people on Banks and Torres islands were sheltering in caves and evacuation centres.

A curfew was imposed in the province yesterday, where about 10,000 people live, as authorities warned of destructive winds, torrential rain and very rough seas.

Damage in Torba as Donna moves slowly across Vanuatu Photo: Vanuatu Red Cross

Earlier, it was supposed to move down the country towards the main islands of Santo and Efate.

But it has since been tracking towards open ocean in the west and was forecast to make a turn south, possibly back towards southern Vanuatu or New Caledonia this weekend.

Vanuatu Red Cross activates its Emergency Operating Centre in response to Donna. Photo: Vanuatu Red Cross

Emergency broadcasts

RNZ International will broadcast news and cyclone warnings to Vanuatu via shortwave and AM radio. Information on how to listen can be found here.

Satellite image of Donna as it hovers over Vanuatu Photo: Vanuatu Met Service