Tropical Cyclone Warning Number 61 issued 0420 UTC Thursday 17 December 2020 [Image: Fiji Meterological Services]
The Nadi Weather Office says the centre of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa is expected to make landfall over the province of Bua at 8pm tonight.
Yasaâs centre is expected to be located about 90 kilometres West South West of Labasa this evening.
Cyclone Yasa is located about 140 kilometres West North West of Labasa.
Close to its centre the cyclone is expected to have very destructive winds upto 240 kilometres per hour with momentary gusts to 345 kilometres per hour.
The cyclone is moving East South East at about 24 kilometres per hour.
Cyclone Yasa: State of natural disaster declared as category 5 cyclone heads for Fiji bringing gusts of up to 345kmh, causing landslides and flooding
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Cyclone Yasa: Category 5 cyclone hits Fiji causing landslides, flooding, 345kmh gusts, and 14m swells
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Landslides, flooding, strong gusts and large swells are adding to the “destructive” Cyclone Yasa, which hit Fiji two hours earlier than predicted. The category 5 cyclone made landfall in Bua, Vanua Levu, at 6pm Thursday (7pm NZ time), two hours earlier than originally predicted, according to Metservice Fiji. A state of natural disaster has been declared and a strict curfew imposed until Friday morning. The eye of the storm is passing 100 kilometres east of Yasaway-i-rara and 90km southwest of Labasa, according to the Fijian Government. Metservice Fiji is predicting the centre of the cyclone to be located about 25km northwest of Koro and 130km northeast of Suva by 11pm. By 11am on Friday, it will be about 80km east of Moala and 230km east of Suva.