N.D.M.O FINALISED PLANS TO DEAL WITH RAQUEL’S AFTERMATH

As the weather slowly improves, the National Disaster Management Office is putting together final touches to addressing the impacts of  Tropical Cyclone Raquel.

The activation of the National Disaster Management arrangements since the beginning of the bad weather triggered the emergency response clusters to have their action plans in place in preparing to be deployed to support the Provinces impacted by TC Raquel.

A week-long series of meetings by emergency response clusters have so far been very fruitful.

This has lead to identifying available resources within the country.

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) says the emergency stockpiles will provide the initial supplies of humanitarian relief once the deployment is made.

The National Disaster Management Office commends the great working relationship and the commitment of its partners to ensuring a prompt response.

The Initial Response Assessment teams will be deployed to support the Provinces impacted as soon as the weather permits.

Meanwhile, a tropical cyclone is expected to reform as of today.

Today, the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services says, ex-tropical cyclone Raquel with a central pressure of 997 hectopascals was located 9.8 degrees latitude South and 157.4 degrees longitude East.

This is approximately 63 nautical miles South-Southwest of Tetepare Island in Western province and is moving Southeast at 05 knots.

The MET Office says the system is intensifying and expected to reform into a tropical cyclone with increasing winds 35 to 50 knots in the next 12 hours.

It warns, heavy rain which can lead to flash flooding and landslides can occur over most of the provinces.