Fiji has been preparing itself for the inevitable arrival of a severe tropical cyclone known as Yasa. Citizens in the low lying areas have been issued warnings and advised to evacuate to escape the perils of the approaching storm. According to forecasters, the height of the waves in the eye of the storm could reach at most 45 feet in length or 14 meters. The eye of the storm appears to be moving straight ahead to the islands of Vanua Levu and VitiLevu.
Yasa emerged on December 12 as a tropical storm and had developed into a cyclone by December 14. The storm has had a lot of opportunities to gain momentum and growth. This is because this tropical cyclone developed over the humid South Pacific Waters, which is renowned for fueling very strong cyclones.
To date, the tropical cyclone Yasa is the 5th cyclone whose strength is categorized as five and the second storm of its strength to make landfall in Fiji. The first storm to reach category 5 that landed in Fiji was the tropical cyclone Winston, which hit Fiji way back in 2016.