Cyclone is heading for Tonga: coconuts as a precaution from the trees

nuku \u0026 # x27; alofa - The Tonga Pacific island group is bracing for Cyclone Gita, which has a force of 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Only emergency services are allowed to enter the capital Nuku \u0026 # x27; alofa until Tuesday morning and the state of emergency has been declared in the country.

The storm is expected to be the hardest ever hit by Tonga. The main island gets wind gusts with speeds of 200 kilometers per hour. The residents take precautionary measures by covering windows and removing coconuts from the trees.

Emergency services in nearby New Zealand are getting ready to help. 'When Gita comes ashore we can expect that houses will be destroyed and that damage will be caused to roads and the harvest,' a spokesman told The New Zealand Herald.