Flash flood warning

Heavy rain and flash flood warning for Tonga

A heavy rain warning and flash flood advisory remains for the Niuas and Vava’u land areas.

Kaniva News reports a strong wind warning remains in force for the Niuas and Vava’u land areas.

At 4pm (local time) today Mona, a category one tropical cyclone, was located 810 kilometres west of Niuafo’ou and 1064km northwest Nuku’alofa.

Tropical Cyclone Mona is moving at a speed of about 18km/hr (10 knots) in a south- south-west direction.

The Tongan weather service said that on its current track the potential for Mona to affect Tonga in the next 24hrs was low

Flash flood warnings on Kaua'i in Hawai'i

Hawaii was spared a direct hit from a major hurricane as Lane diminished to a tropical storm as it approached and then drifted west, further from land.

But rain was still pounding the island chain, touching off flooding on Oahu and Kaua'i.

Now residents are keeping a watchful eye on Tropical Storm Miriam, which is spinning about 3,000 kilometres to the east and moving west towards Hawaii.

It is expected to develop into hurricane.