SYDNEY, Feb 16 (AFP) - Twin cyclones began battering three south Pacific nations early Wednesday and weather experts warned they could combine into one giant, destructive storm center that would create havoc in the region.
Cyclone Olaf, a powerful Category 4 storm packing winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), was bearing down on Samoa and American Samoa and was expected to reach "super cyclone" status by the time it strikes the two territories' main islands around 0000 GMT Wednesday.
Olaf has intensified steadily in the past 24 hours and was forecast to reach Category 4/5 out of a maximum of 5, meaning it will whip up sustained winds of more than 250 kilometers per hour and gusts above 300 kph, the Australian-Pacific Center for Emergency and Disaster Information (APCEDI) said.
Samoa and American Samoa were under states of emergency, with schools, businesses and airports closed and boarded up and low-lying areas evacuated, residents in the American Samoa capital Pago Pago told AFP.
The Samoa and Fiji meteorological centers said Olaf was expected to pass directly over the Samoas and then continue southeast to the southern Cook Islands, which were already being buffeted by a second cyclone, Nancy.
"This continues to be a critically dangerous situation for Samoa, American Samoa and the Southern Cooks," APCEDI said.
Nancy uprooted trees, tore off roofs and flooded coastal areas of the small Cook Islands atoll of Aitutake overnight, the Aitutake Cyclone Center reported.
Tourists had earlier been evacuated from Aitutake, one of the Pacific's most picturesque atolls, and half the island's 200 residents were in emergency shelters, the center said.
Nancy was a weaker, Category 3 cyclone but was considered very dangerous for the Cook Islands, which were still recovering from significant damage caused by a category 4 storm, Meena, which struck just 10 days ago.
Cyclone Nancy was expected to miss the main island of Rarotonga by about 110 kilometers (65 miles), but high winds and "phenomenal" seas were still expected to cause damage to the east coast, where buildings and sea walls were ravaged by Meena, the Fiji Meteorological Center said.
The storm was due to pass directly over four smaller Cook Islands atolls.
Kevin Vang at APCEDI said it was possible Olaf and Nancy could cross paths, spinning around each other in a giant storm center until one of the storms is flung off.
"For the South Pacific it is unusual to have two cyclones this close together," Vang said. "This has the making of an absolute mess."
The danger was greatest for the Cook Islands, where Olaf was forecast to follow hard on the heels of Cyclone Nancy.
"Authorities should in fact be prepared for a quick double hit by both storms in a 24-48 hour period starting late Monday or Tuesday. This is an unusual and very dangerous situation," Vang said.
Foreign Minister Phil Goff of New Zealand said his government, Australia and France would coordinate needed emergency relief efforts for Samoa and the Cook Islands under a tripartite arrangement for disaster response.
"New Zealand is standing by to assist Samoa or the Cooks as required," he said.
In American Samoa, residents spent the night boarding up homes and lashing down roofs in preparation for Olaf.
Elisapeta Laolagi of Olosega island said people were well prepared for Olaf, with all buildings and homes boarded up and villagers stocked up with food and water.
While the winds remained calm overnight, Poloa resident Peter Gurr said the sea was "frightening", with gigantic waves similar to before Cyclone Heta wreaked havoc on the island last year.
The cyclones were also generating strong winds and high seas around the countries of Tokelau, Tuvalu, Niue and Wallis and Futuna, and could affect southern areas of French Polynesia.
02/15/2005 20:20 GMT - AFP