Big clean-up for Tongan citizens after storm

Tongan's citizens are starting to clean up fallen trees and debris after three days of buffeting from Cyclone Vaianu, which skimmed the western coast of the kingdom bearing winds averaging 111km/h with gusts to 148km/h.

Maliu Takai, deputy director of the National Emergency Management Office, said there had been no reports of injury, though a village on the western coast of Tongatapu, the main island, was flooded by seas that washed 100m inland.

The cyclone, moving relatively slowly, was being felt on land by 2am Sunday, said Mr Takai.

The weather was roughest at about Monday at 7pm as the cyclone passed about 144km to the west of Nuku'alofa, the capital.

The storm forced closure of schools and offices, and power supplies throughout the country failed. The Prime Minister's office was yesterday running on generator power, said Eseta Fusitua, chief secretary to Cabinet. She said that although the cyclone was not the strongest locals had experienced, it had been slow to pass and something of an endurance test.

* High swells are expected on the North Island's east coast as a result of Cyclone Vaianu. Weather Ambassador Bob McDavitt said the cyclone would not bring adverse weather to New Zealand as it had swung away on a south-easterly track.

Raoul Island, 700km north east of New Zealand, would get gale-strength easterly winds.