06.01.2004
By THERESA GARNER

Two Pacific nations are bracing themselves as Tropical Cyclone Heta bears down on them, bringing winds raging at more than 300km/h.

Heta continued to build strength yesterday as it travelled south towards the Vava'u islands in the north of Tonga, the smaller islands of Niuafo'ou and Niuatoputapu, and the tiny country of Niue.

In Fiji, the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre issued tropical cyclone alerts for the areas.

Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa have already been lashed by gale-force winds and are believed to have escaped the worst of the cyclone.

In Niue yesterday afternoon, most of the 1300 residents were bunkered down in their homes.

Others were in town buying candles and other emergency supplies.

Some residents who live near the sea left their homes to wait the storm out in many of the island's empty inland houses.

NZ's Deputy High Commissioner to Niue, Tony Fautua, said the Niuean Government was well prepared and was broadcasting alerts over radio and television.

"There is some rain here and there," he said. "At the moment it's fine. The cyclone is still some way off, but the swells in the sea are starting to get bigger."

Mr Fautua said Cyclone Ofa, which hit the island in 1990, had made people stoic and allowed them to prepare without panic.

But there was concern for avocado crops, due to be harvested in the next few weeks.

"This storm will destroy a lot of people's hard work."

In Tonga, deputy police commander Taniela Faletau said the national disaster committee had met and was prepared for the cyclone.

"We have not directed any evacuation, but we have advised there will be a lot of rain and [have issued] warnings of high tides."

People were advised to protect their crops by cutting leaves off banana plants, leaving only the stems.

Little could be done to protect other plants and breadfruit trees.

Mr Faletau expected that Heta would come within 150km east of Niuatoputapu by 1am today.

"We are at stage 2 of the emergency plan, which is the alert and standby stage."

Earlier, Radio New Zealand International reported that two homes in a coastal village in American Samoa had been destroyed by large waves but no one had been hurt because the owner had moved his family to high ground.

Samoa was buffeted by 160km/h winds which uprooted trees, spread debris across roads and cut power supplies and telecommunications, including to all of Savai'i.

Sara Va'ai, 21, from Vaivase village near Apia, said earlier yesterday that her home was still standing "thank God, but the wind's getting bad and my family are putting boards on the windows".

Her family own the Vaisala Beach Hotel on Savai'i, one of the worst-hit areas. "We can't get in contact with them. We're really worried."

Seafarers were warned to expect hurricane-force winds and "phenomenal" seas near the cyclone's centre.

Winds were expected to average 200km/h at the centre, with gusts of up to 280km/h.

MetService forecaster Stephen Ready said Heta was "up there with the moderately large intense cyclones that occur in the South Pacific".

"If you got in its way, you'd certainly know all about it."

The cyclone had been relatively easy to track because it was slow moving, but its speed had picked up.

"It is too early to say how close it will pass to Niue, but it is certainly in the firing line for at least a gale."

New Zealand tourists in affected countries are being looked after in hotels.

Polynesian Airlines cancelled its flights to Apia yesterday and Air NZ postponed a flight until today.