Tropical Cyclone Winston making fall on Fiji now.

[ice-is-forming]

The capitol cities of Fiji are will be hit by Tropical cyclone Winston, in a few hours. A severe category 5. I have a friend and her 3 children there on holiday. They are holed up in a hotel bathroom, bath full of water, supplies ready & mattresses over their heads!

Category five cyclone Winston lashes Fiji's outer islands

The storm was carrying average winds of 230 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 325 kilometres per hour, Fiji's Meteorological Service said.

Virgin Australia and Jetstar have both cancelled services in and out of the country.

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama urged Fijians to prepare themselves for what he described as a "terrible event".

"We cannot afford to be complacent," he said.

"And I am especially concerned that some people in urban areas of the country in particular do not appear to have heeded the warnings about the seriousness of the threat we all face."

Forecasters say there is a chance the cyclone will whip up very strong wind gusts around the capital.

"That is a possibility that we cannot eliminate right now, that is the reason for us issuing a hurricane warning in terms of swells and heavy rain," Fiji meteorologist Misaeli Funaki told the ABC.

 

[Vintage Paw]

That doesn't sound good.

All the best to your friends.

 

[ice-is-forming]

 

[ice-is-forming]

 

[purves grundy]

Brutal!