Cyclone Winston

Fiji media have reported that Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has announced the new death toll.

The category five cyclone has been described as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

Homes have been destroyed, power lines are down and trees are blocking roads in many areas after tropical Cyclone Winston swept through the islands with wind gusts of up to 325kmh.

One person is reported so far to have died in the storm - an elderly man who was hit by flying debris - while hundreds have fled to evacuation centres. A curfew remains in force as the authorities go about assessing the damage.

'There's not one house that has not been damaged'

Disaster officials told a local broadcaster that an elderly man on Koro Island died after a roof fell on him.

Two hundred millimetres of rain was due to fall in some areas which could have triggered landslides. Flood warnings were issued for low-lying areas, with tidal surges possible.

Cyclone Winston ravaged the country overnight, but was now slowly moving away and leaving the country to assess the damage as daylight breaks.

The country had spent much of Saturday in lockdown, with transport cancelled and nationwide curfew and state of emergency declared by the government.

Already there are initial reports of severe damage across the country, with reports of houses being flattened and heavy swells washing away sea walls.

Unconfirmed reports suggest one person died when they were struck by falling debris on Koro island, according to local media, but a police spokesperson was unable to confirm reports.

Tropical Cyclone Winston has begun its assault on Fiji. It is being described as one of the most powerful in recorded history - a Category 5 cyclone with winds approaching 300 kilometres an hour. As a nation, we are facing an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We must stick together as a people and look after each other. Be alert and be prepared.

Reporters from Fijivillage spoke to the Turaga Ni Koro, Filipe Colati, on Ono-i-Lau, who said they experienced strong and devastating winds late last night.

He said the winds were stronger than Cyclone Ula and that five houses have been destroyed in Dakuni village.

Mr Colati said there was also extreme damage to vegetation.

The cyclone was downgraded to a category two on Monday afternoon as it moved towards Fiji's southern Lau group, but Misaeli Funaki, a forecaster at the Fiji Meteorological Service, said the storm still had damaging winds as high as 155 kilometres an hour.

In the first week of January Cyclone Ula crossed the Lau group causing minor damage.

The Director of Meteorology said Cyclone Winston, lying to the south, was expected to turn towards Fiji waters after initially tracking southeast away from Vanuatu.

In the first week of January Cyclone Ula crossed the Lau group causing minor damage.

The Director of Meteorology said Cyclone Winston, lying to the south, was expected to turn towards Fiji waters after initially tracking southeast away from Vanuatu.

The cyclone is moving at 12 kilometres an hour and intensifying.

Expect sustained winds of 166 kilometres an hour close to the centre, increasing to 185 kilometres an hour later today.

In Fiji, a flood alert remains in force for all low lying areas along Rakiraki river, including Rakiraki town.