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Fiji, Solomon Islands brace for cyclones

Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney, Monday March 15, 2010 - 03:46 EDT

Fiji and the Solomon Islands are bracing for gale-force winds, heavy rain and storm surges as tropical cyclones bear down on both countries.

Tropical Cyclone Tomas is expected to make landfall in northern Fiji on Monday morning and disaster management officials there have spent the past few days preparing.

In the Solomon Islands, Tropical Cyclone Ului was expected to hit the islands of Rennell and Bellona on Sunday night.

Solomons Disaster Management Office spokesman Julian Makaa says the 5,000 people who live on those islands are expecting the worst.

"We've just been advising people to be prepared and sort themselves out," he said.

"We have been advising people to stock things up, prepare for the impact. That means saving water, food, basic medicines."

Ului is generating winds of more than 200 kilometres per hour.

Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Brett Harrison says Ului was upgraded overnight Saturday from a category three to a category five storm.

"It does mean that wind speeds are significantly increased, so any areas that will be in the path of the cyclone will receive significant damage," he said.

"At this stage it's moving towards the south of the Solomon Islands."

- ABC

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