Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam To Hit Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean
According to the U.S. military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Cyclone Pam continued to sustain winds estimated at 165 mph.
The edge of the eye of Cyclone Pam tapped the eastern edge of Efate island, including the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila at about 11 p.m. Friday night, local time. Vanuatu has a population of nearly 44,000.
Pam is expected to directly hit the southern Vanuatu islands of Erromango, Tanna, and Aneityum early Saturday morning, local time. The combined population of those three islands is roughly 32,000
As of Friday morning The University of Wisconsin suggested Pam’s central pressure may be as low as 879 millibars. The lower the central pressure, the stronger the tropical cyclone, with the lowest recorded central pressure ever recorded being 870 in 1979.
The entire chain of islands has been issued a red alert by The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office.
Cyclone Pam is being described as having very destructive winds. Heavy swells will affect particularly the central and southern islands causing storm surge flooding, flash flooding and landslides.
The Republic of Vanuatu is a 1,200 miles chain of islands northeast of Brisbane, Australia, and has a total population of around 224,000.
