Fiji braces for Cyclone Yasa with 16-meter waves forecast
Authorities have urged Fiji's population of nearly 1 million to seek higher ground, as Cyclone Yasa hit the South Pacific nation's two main islands. Meteorologists have warned the storm could swamp smaller islands.
A satellite image released by NASA shows Cyclone Yasa over Fiji earlier this week
Fijian leaders have urged the entire population of 930,000 to seek shelter under emergency orders as Cyclone Yasa roared across the South Pacific island nation.
Fiji's National Disaster Management Office warned the cyclone could generate waves as high as 16 meters (52 feet).
Yasa whirled over Vanua Levu, Fiji's main northern island, packing gusts of 250 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour). It then headed southeast to pass near Suva, the capital, on the other main island of Viti Levu.