People are urged to remain on high alert as a Tropical Depression which continues to move closer to Fiji is expected to gradually intensify into a Tropical Cyclone this evening.
The Nadi Weather Office says the Tropical Depression was located 980 kilometres North-Northwest of Labasa at 1 o'clock this morning.
This Tropical Depression is moving at 10 kilometres per hour.
A Tropical Cyclone Alert is in force for Fiji.
A heavy rain warning remains in force for Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Northern Lau group, and the Yasawa group.
According to the Nadi Weather Office, close to its centre, the Tropical Depression is expected to have average winds up to 45 kilometres per hour with momentary gusts of up to 65 kilometres per hour.
The Tropical Depression is expected to gradually intensify into a Tropical Cyclone this evening with average wind speeds close to the centre of 65 kilometres per hour with momentary gusts of 95 kilometres per hour.
Director of Meteorology, Misaeli Funaki says this system will move southwards and come close to Fiji and when it forms into a cyclone, it will be named Cyclone Sarai.
Funaki says while the majority of the models are projecting for the system to move just to the west of Yasawa and Mamanuca Groups, some other models are showing that the Cyclone could come over Viti Levu later tomorrow.
The Nadi Weather Office says rain and thunderstorms will start developing over northern, central and eastern parts of the country from today.
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