flooding

Air Niugini and PNG Air flights into the province have been cancelled for a day while most people were warned to stay indoors.

Provincial Administrator, Trevor Magei has confirmed that the epic centre was at Ubo, Safia local level government areas in Ijivitari district on the border of Oro and Central provinces.

He said the Rabaul Volcano Observatory centre, GEO Observatory Hawaii, National Disaster Centre and the Oro Provincial Disaster Centre, confirmed the earthquake measuring 5.3 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Continuous heavy rain has wreaked havoc on the village, which is located in one of the remote parts of Kewabi LLG in Siwi-Utame area.

“The continuous rainfall had caused the River Mambu to flood, covering the houses and gardens along the river bank and locals who live along the Mambu River have lost much of their food gardens, homes and the footbridge,” said a young community leader at Tiri village, Julius Kimba.

“They have lost more than two hectares of their food gardens in the flooding and they were left homeless and hungry after fleeing to safety on higher ground.

The storm's sluggish speed, roughly 5mph (7km/h), increases its capacity for destruction, pummelling coastal states with heavy rain.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported flooding from Tallahassee, Florida to Mobile Bay in Alabama.

It also warned of a "life-threatening" storm surge and river flooding inland as far as Georgia.

Hurricane Sally is one of several storms in the Atlantic Ocean, with officials running out of letters to name the hurricanes as they near the end of their annual alphabetic list.

He was returning from a betelnut supply run to remote Tekadu, in the Wau Rural LLG of Morobe Province.

Local authorities confirmed that the man was swept away by the river’s strong currents after he lost his footing on a log connecting the riverbanks.

Eyewitness and police reservist, Ben Bowney, who was with the man and 40 other locals who travelled to remote Tekadu, witnessed the incident.

Bowney said they mobilised and conducted a search, but were unsuccessful in locating the man.

Severe weather warnings for rain, winds and flooding have been issued for coastal areas of the eastern state.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned of "dangerous conditions" on Saturday and Sunday.

There has already been flooding in Sydney and other areas along the coast.

Friday was the wettest day recorded in well over a year in Sydney, where roads were closed and public transport delayed.

Other NSW towns faced flood waters as well, including Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour, where 280mm and 250mm of rain fell respectively.

Cyclone Kenneth struck with winds of 220km/h (140mph) barely a month after a previous cyclone killed hundreds and devastated large areas.

Heavy rain continued to fall on Friday, raising fears of more floods.

Authorities have advised people to move to higher ground amid concern that thousands may be trapped in remote villages.

Mozambique was still recovering from Cyclone Idai, which killed more than 900 people across three countries in March.

Magi Highway commuters, in Central Province, reported that certain sections of the road proved to be impassable during the weekend.

The Kalamona Bridge for one, in the Rigo district, was submerged by flood water.

Commuters had to spend Friday night on the other side of the road until the water ebbed the next day.

Three motor vehicle accidents were reported in that particular section as well though fortunately, no lives were lost.

Newly appointed Caritas coordinator of the Archdiocese of Rabaul, Fr. Gabriel Pabet, had the chance to visit some of these families who are currently taking refuge at St. Joseph’s Malagunan Parish hall, and also visited the village to make his own assessment.

He said Malagunan No 3 village comprises of five zones, of which zones 1 and 2 consist of seven small Christian communities and are the ones heavily affected, noting that the number of families affected is due to rise as more people are entering the Parish grounds.

The Solomons has been afflicted by heavy rain and strong winds for the last two weeks, which have caused rivers to bust their banks and sweep through villages on the main islands of Malaita and Guadalcanal.

The flash flooding has contaminated drinking water and destroyed food gardens.

Director of the Disaster Management Office, Loti Yates, said food supplies and health and sanitation packs were needed as the risk of water and mosquito borne diseases was rising.

Eighty percent of those affected are subsistence farmers living in rural areas, Mr Yates said

Heavy rain, showers and thunderstorms causing flooding and landslides associated with the monsoon trough to be experienced in the coming days in some areas of Southern, Momase, Highlands and New Guinea Islands Region.

Heavy rains are forecasted to occur and persist over the areas mentioned within the next 18 to 24 hours causing flooding and landslides.

All affected communities and areas are asked to take the necessary precautions.