Fiji travel insurance for Cyclone Winston
Insurers batten down the hatches as a cyclone wreaks havoc through the South Pacific.
Fiji is reeling after being hit one of the worsts storms of the last half-century. Cyclone Winston made landfall on Saturday, devastating the South Pacific island nation with wind gusts of more than 300km/ph, heavy rain and storms.
The category 5 cyclone (the most dangerous rating) ripped through the archipelago, leaving at least 17 people dead and forcing the Fijian Government to declare a 30 day state of natural disaster.
Category 5 Cyclone
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) define a Category 5 Cyclone as:
- Extremely dangerous with widespread destruction
- Very destructive winds, gusts over 280 km/h
- These winds correspond to the highest category on the Beaufort scale, Beaufort 12 (Hurricane)
Fiji is not the only South Pacific nation to bear the brunt of Cyclone Winston, with the cyclone battering Tonga twice this month, and damaging nearly 200 homes. Aid workers are also concerned about the possibility of an outbreak of the Zika virus in Tonga. With the virus already present in the country, five confirmed cases already this month, the cyclone may increase the risk of a further Zika contamination if the aftermath of Cyclone Winston disrupts the citizenries access to running water and impacts water runoff systems.
Conditions for Cyclone Winston and travel insurance
If you've booked a trip to Fiji, you may want to check the cut-off date for cover. Whether or not you'll have cover will depend on when you bought your policy. If you took out travel insurance after Cyclone Winston was a known event, you will not have cover for any claims relating to Cyclone Winston such as cancellation or trip interruption. Below is a table of the travel insurance brands in the finder.com.au panel that have issued statements about Cyclone Winston.
| Brand | Conditions | Emergency contact details | More info |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1Cover Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 2 8016 9222 | More Info |
 | Budget Direct Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 2 9333 3915 | More Info |
 | InsureandGo Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:For new customers travelling to Fiji, please contact us on 1300 401 177 to find out more about coverage on new policies. | +61 2 9333 3999 | More Info |
 | iTrek Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 7 3305 7499 | More Info |
 | TID Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 2 9234 3123 | More Info |
 | Virgin Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 7 3305 7499 | More Info |
 | WorldCare Travel Insurance for Cyclone Winston:
| +61 7 3305 7499 | More Info |
Who do I contact in an emergency?
If you find yourself in an emergency in Fiji some of helpful contacts include:
- Your travel insurer. You should contact the travel insurance brand that issued your policy. There are come contact details that can me found above and also provider will have an 24/7 helpline for claims and medical emergencies.
- Police emergency number. You can reach this service by calling 917.
- Fire and ambulance emergency number. You can reach this service on 911.
- Australian Embassies and Consulates. You can find the contact details of Australian Embassies and Consulates in Fiji below. You can also call the Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra on +61 2 6261 3305.
Picture: Shutterstock
have a holiday booked, not paid for, castaway island Fiji. 1st may depart Sydney. Have already paid for flights however was not purchasing travel insurance until 45 days outside of departure date, when paying for accommodation.
If I purchase travel insurance now, will I be covered for if island not recovered/fully operational thus forcing us to delay/cancel our holiday? Obviously if purchasing travel insurance tomorrow, I wont be covered for flight cancellation which are previously paid for?
Hi Misty,
Thanks for your question. It will depend on the insurer and when they issued their warning about travel to the region. Unfortunately, for most insurers this was around the 17th of February, so finding cover may be difficult, as the insurers will not pay claims that are for known events.
All the best,
Richard