Tonga: Tropical Cyclone Harold

Tropical Cyclone Harold has passed over Fiji and is predicted expected to pass about 65 km south of Tongatapu Thursday morning, 9 April, as a Category 3 or Category 4 cyclone. Heavy rain, large waves, and flooding are expected in southern Tonga and an additional State of Emergency (in parallel to the State of Emergency for COVID-19) has been called.

New Zealanders in Tonga are advised to seek suitable shelter and follow the advice of local authorities, including evacuation orders. Visitors and tourists staying in travel accommodation should follow the guidance of their accommodation providers and/or tour operators. During the cyclone stay indoors and do not go out near the ocean. Monitor local media for updates. It is important to keep family and friends in New Zealand updated on your welfare. For more information, monitor the Fiji Meteorological Service’s website. 

We encourage all New Zealanders living and travelling offshore to register on SafeTravel, the official registration facility for New Zealanders travelling or living overseas. If you register with us, we’re able to relay important information and account for your safety and wellbeing as part of New Zealand’s consular response to an overseas emergency.

If you are a New Zealander in Tonga and you require emergency consular assistance, please contact the New Zealand High Commission in Nuku’alofa on +676 331 1422 or email nzhctonga@mfat.govt.nz, or call the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Consular Emergency Centre on +64 99 20 20 20.

Associated Advisories:

Updated:9 Apr 2020, 10:55