The Pacific nation experienced an initial 6.5 magnitude quake, followed by an aftershock. A state of emergency has been declared amid the threat of Cyclone Kevin.
Vanuatu lies in the Pacific's "Ring of Fire"Image: Twitter/NingZhouVanuatu/via REUTERS
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The Pacific nation of Vanuatu experienced back-to-back earthquakes and cyclones on Friday. No casualties were immediately reported.
A 6.5-magnitude quake initially struck at 1804 GMT off the island of Espiritu Santo in the north of the archipelago, the US Geological Survey said. There was an aftershock of magnitude 5.4.
A state of emergency was declared due to the added threat of Cyclone Kevin, government spokesperson Joe Harry told the AFP news agency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat from the initial quake.
Strong winds, power cuts
After the initial quake, there were reports of strong winds tearing roofs from buildings and uprooting trees. Just a couple of days ago, strong winds and rain from Cyclone Judy had lashed Vanuatu. Electricity and communications in the island nation are still affected.
"People on (Espiritu) Santo felt the earthquake, but couldn't go outside to assess the damage because of the high winds," Dickinson Tevi, secretary general of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, told AFP from the capital, Port Vila.
He added that parts of the capital had been without power for two days.
"Once the winds have died, we will assess the situation, but there is likely to be significant damage as Cyclone Judy had already damaged many structures," he said.
The nation of 320,000 lies in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates collide and which experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. It is one of the most susceptible countries to earthquakes, storms, flooding and tsunami, according to the annual World Risk Report.
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
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Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
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Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
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A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
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A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
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Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
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Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
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Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
