The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the The Fiji Meteorological Service have confirmed the occurrence of a mini tornado in Nakasi yesterday.
In a joint statement, the two Government departments said a report of severe destructive winds in Nakasi was received yesterday afternoon.
Police have also confirmed that two houses in Niudamu in Nakasi suffered damages, while a 64-year-old man reportedly sustained minor injuries following the event.
He was treated at the Nakasi Health Centre and later discharged.
The Fiji Meteorological Service conformed the event as a “small/mini tornado” based on their observations of the damages.
Two situations can cause the damages that have been reported. These are microburst and thunderstorms
A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and in some instances, can be life-threatening.
Tornadoes, on the other hand, are violently rotating columns of air, extending from a thunderstorm, which are in contact with the ground. All thunderstorms have the potential to produce tornadoes, but the type of storm that is most commonly tornadic is the supercell. Supercells may produce strong, violent tornadoes, or several tornadoes over a period of several hours.
Authorities are closely working with all relevant stakeholders to assess the impact of the situation on the ground and provide assistance where necessary.
