KEY POINTS:
Life was gradually returning to normal yesterday for people in Tonga as the kingdom recovered from its "greatest downpour" of rain.
"People are going to church, cars are driving up and down the road, life is back as it should be on a Sunday," Phillip Vea, manager of Tonga Radio, told the Herald. "As far as we are concerned, the worst is over."
More rain had been forecast for yesterday, but Mr Vea said the weather had been sunny for most of Saturday and yesterday.
It was a completely different picture earlier, when a freak storm dumped more than a month's average rainfall in less than 24 hours, forcing evacuations.
Buildings, including the Australian High Commission and houses in the main city of Nuku'alofa, were flooded after roads turned into rivers during the storm, officials said.
"This is the greatest rainfall we have ever had in the kingdom," said duty forecaster 'Ofa Taumoepeau.
Climatologists called it "an extreme event", with up to 28.92cm of rain falling on parts of the main island of Tongatapu in the 24 hours to 10am on Saturday.
Most of the rain fell in a seven-hour period on Friday evening, causing flash-flooding across the island and forcing animals to swim for their lives.
The Tongan Defence Force's quick reaction team were called out and evacuated several families who had not been able to reach higher ground.
They also assisted Australian High Commission staff to move furniture and equipment after the diplomatic mission started to flood.
The water was knee deep in some areas, Second Lieutenant Esu Tupou said.
"Cars couldn't work and they found some cars stuck without drivers. They came across pigs and dogs swimming in the water."
Tonga, with a population of 112,000, lies a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii and receives most of its annual rainfall between November and April.
A heavier-than-usual rainy period had been forecast as "a high probability" this year from January to March.
- NZPA, staff reporter.
