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Tropical cyclone Tomas has intensified further overnight to category 4 hurricane status with average winds of 90 knots close to its centre, according to the Fiji Meteorology Department.
Tomas has been moving slowly but steadily towards Fiji’s northern division with the cyclone center now almost reaching Cikobia.
Director of Meteorology Rajendra Prasad said the hurricane is expected to pass over Cikobia around midday today.
Prasad said the system has taken a more south-southwesterly course overnight and is expected to go right over eastern Vanua Levu, Tavueni and the Lau group.
“Flooding is expected to occur in the northern, central and eastern divisions especially for low-lying areas,” he said.
He added that the central division should experience damaging gale force winds from tonight.
“However, it could escape destructive to very destructive storm to hurricane force winds,” Prasad said.
Fiji’s western division is expected to escape hurricane force winds but experience strong to marginal gale force winds of 25 to 35 knots.
On its current track, the cyclone centre is expected to be located at about 60km east of Labasa or 290km northeast of Suva at 7 p.m. today and about 60km southeast of Labasa or 110km east-northeast of Suva at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.
