Severe weather warning issued

An amount of 157.7mm of rainfall was recorded within 24 hours, from 8am on Monday to 8am yesterday (Tuesday) morning by the Meteorological station at Bauerfield Airport in Port Vila.

This heavy rainfall caused flooding in several areas of Port Vila and the surrounding areas.

According to the Vanuatu Meteorological Services, this is already exceeding the normal threshold and a severe weather (rainfall) warning has been issued for throughout Vanuatu for possible landslide in areas of 45 degrees steep. Visibility is also said to be very poor.

The Vanuatu Meteorological Services forecast indicated that the current cloudy and rainfall is likely to continue until Thursday of this week before clearing up over the weekend.

Residents of Seven Star, Man Ples, Anabouru (Kava Store areas), some areas of Freshwota and other areas of Port Vila and the surrounding areas woke up yesterday morning only to find that their areas and even homes have been flooded by water caused by heavy rainfall over Monday night that lasted until yesterday morning.

Residents of the Kava Store-Funk Kwan Chee area called the Daily Post to say that their homes have all been flooded.

The Seven Star main road linking New Covenant Church and the Ohlen-Pakaroa roads junction was flooded with water above waist for adults while children of 5 years could not attempt crossing by yesterday morning.

Many residents of Port Vila were blocked by heavy rainfall coupled with flooding in certain areas of the capital that they could not make it to their work places early.

Daily Post also understand that while some schools have called off school yesterday, many parents decided to stop their children from going to school yesterday because of the heavy rainfall and poor visibility along the main roads of Port Vila.