Cyclone Vaianu Hits Fiji as Maila Intensifies

Severe Tropical Cyclone Vaianu battered Fiji on Tuesday, stranding hundreds of Australian tourists in darkened resorts amid heavy rains, fierce winds, and widespread flooding, while a second storm, Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila, intensified in the Solomon Sea, raising fears of impacts on Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.

The cyclone, classified as a Category 3 system by Fiji's Meteorological Service, lashed the island nation with gusts exceeding 150 kilometers per hour, causing flash floods and power outages across key areas including the tourist hub of Nadi. Nearly 300 people sought shelter in evacuation centers in Fiji's Western, Central, and Eastern divisions, according to the National Disaster Risk Management Office. Schools and universities closed, nonessential government workers stayed home, and several roads and bridges were inundated or blocked by fallen trees and debris. In Suva, the capital, the Health Ministry relocated the Raiwaqa Health Centre to the Vodafone Arena to ensure continued services amid the disruptions.

Australian traveler Melanie Harris, vacationing with her young son at a resort south of Nadi, described the ordeal as a shift from dream getaway...