By ALISON ANIS
ANOTHER family in Hanuabada in the nation’s capital has fallen victim to the strong north-westerly wind surges experienced along the Papuan coast.
The family’s house built on stilts over the sea, was flattened by the winds last weekend.
Elsewhere in the city, a father of two is seeking help to put a shelter over his head after the roof of his two-bedroom hovel at Gordon was blown down by the strong winds.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has strongly urged boat operators and fishing vessels not to venture out to sea because of the strong wind.
“We still have strong winds along the southern coast towards the border with Indonesia’s West Papua province and though we may experience moderate winds from time to time from Kiwai Island towards Milne Bay islands, our advice to the people in this area is not to travel if they could help it but to take precautions if they are travelling,” assistant director for Climate and Support Services Jimmy Gomoga said.
The winds, accompanied by rain, have suddenly picked up again in NCD and along the Central coast after at least two days of moderate north-westerly winds.
NWS has predicted that during the current monsoon period, “we will be experiencing strong winds and rain with breaks of about two to three days in between”.
Father of two, Syeed Kemiaiwa from Simbu province and his Koiari wife were lucky to escape unhurt when the roof of their house in Gordon was blown away by the strong winds two weeks ago.
While his wife and sons are staying in Sogeri, Mr Kemiaiwa is trying to fix the roof of his house.