“Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in Tuvalu, with strong winds and giant waves churned up by Cyclone Tino causing extensive damage across the country.
“Few of the country's 14 islands were spared damage, said Sumeo Silu, the director of the country's disaster management office. Two hundred people had been evacuated on main island Funafuti alone, he said, as reports of significant damage to infrastructure came in from outer islands.
“On Thursday and Friday, Cyclone Tino was some 500km away from Funafuti, in the waters of northern Fiji, but it still cast strong winds that blew roofs off houses and uprooted many trees.
“But most damaging were the large waves that were whipped up by a cyclone that combined with a king tide to strike the low-lying nation. In the open waters, there were waves as high as eight metres, Mr Silu said. In a country where the highest point is four metres, damage was inevitable.”
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