All Communications down after massive Category 5 Cyclone Harold hits the Pacific nation of Vanuatu

A CATEGORY five cyclone has made landfall on the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, causing damage across large parts of the country, as it tries to prepare for the coronavirus outbreak.

Cyclone Harold made landfall on the north and west of the country on Monday, after spending Sunday sitting off the country’s west coast, gathering strength.

The Vanuatu Meteorology and geo-hazards department warned that hurricane-force winds, reaching up to 235km/h were expected across parts of the country on Monday, as well as heavy rainfalls, flash flooding and ‘very rough to phenomenal seas.’

Images coming through from Vanuatu early on Monday morning showed properties flattened in the country’s second-largest city of Luganville.

“Communications to Santo and Malekula [Vanuatu’s two largest islands] are cut now, so we don’t know what’s happening,” said Eric Durpaire, the chief of Vanuatu’s field office for Unicef Pacific, over the phone from the country’s capital of Port Vila. “The latest information we had was that the roof of the municipality building of Santo has collapsed and there is flooding.”

The cyclone has arrived as the Pacific nation is trying to make preparations for Covid-19. Vanuatu is one of the few countries in the world that does not have any confirmed cases of the virus, but there are fears that were an outbreak to occur its health system would struggle to cope.