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Source: ONE News -
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The people of Tonga are being told prepare for the worst as Cyclone Rene heads towards Tongatapu, the most populated island.
Rene is heading straight for Tonga's main island and locals are expecting they may be cut off for at least a couple of days.
The latest satellite images show the Category 3 tropical cyclone making its way over the islands, predicted to hit the island at 7pm.
The cyclone is expected to move southwest towards the Ha'apai island group and the capital Nuku'alofa on the main island of Tongatapu by midday on Monday, with winds gusting up to 160 kilometres an hour.
Disaster management services on Tonga's main island are preparing for every possibility.
Tonga Police commander Chris Kelley says an emergency plan was activated last night and all agencies are on standby to deal with whatever form Rene will take.
Kelley says he is confident they are well prepared.
New Zealander Chas Toogood is staying at a hotel near the inland lagoon.
He has just been into Nuku'alofa to stock up on food and water for the next couple of days, as they are being told the power will go off. He says it is blowing a gale already and there is a lot of surface flooding around.
Banana plantations have been flattened and bread fruit trees brought down on the island of Vava'u . As yet there has not been any reports of injuries or deaths.
Disaster management committee spokesperson Maliu Takai says power lines in some areas are also down.
Takai says the island of Vava'u is the hardest hit so far, with the eye of the hurricane having passed through.
Vava'u resident Semisi Fonua says he has seen only relatively minor damage to property in the main town of Neiafu after violent winds blew for two hours.
The storm has started its assault early and is building in strength.
The Fiji Metservice tropical cyclone centre says Cyclone Rene is expected to pass very close to Niue also.
The cyclone is estimated to have average winds of 90 knots at its centre and gusts of up to 125 knots.
Are you in Tonga? Do you have a story to tell, pictures
or video of the cyclone Rene? You can send them to us
at
news@tvnz.co.nz
