A Tropical Cyclone Warning remains in force for Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Yasawa, Mamanuca Group and nearby smaller islands, Matuku, Moala, Totoya and the Lomaiviti Group.
A Tropical Cyclone Alert remains in force for the rest of Fiji.
A Storm Surge and Damaging Heavy Swell Warning is in force for the coastal waters of Rotuma, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group, Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Lau and the Lomaiviti Group.
A Heavy Rain Warning remains in force for the whole of Fiji.
A Flash Flood Alert is in force for all low lying areas of Fiji.
Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa is located about 300 kilometres North North West of Nadi and about 320 kilometres South South West of Rotuma.
The system is currently moving eastwards at about 16 kilometres per hour.
On this projected track, the centre of Cyclone Yasa is expected to be located about 170 kilometres North of Nadi at 3pm today.
Destructive winds are likely to begin several hours before the cyclone centre passes overhead or nearby. Please be prepared for winds to pick up from damaging to destructive and very destructive.
Winds can increase to damaging gale force winds with average speeds of upto 75 kilometres per hour from later today.
There is a risk of flooding of coastal areas from storm surges and damaging heavy swells during high tide.
Strong winds and heavy rain is expected to start easing over Rotuma from Saturday.
For Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group and nearby smaller islands - strong winds with momentary gusts of upto 65 kilometres per hour is expected today.
This is expected to further increase to destructive storm force and very destructive hurricane force winds upto 185 kilometres per hour with momentary gusts upto 260 kilometres per hour by 3pm today.
The Weather Office says destructive storm force and very destructive hurricane force winds can be extremely dangerous with widespread destruction.
It can cause widespread damage to property and infrastructure, severe disruption to electrical power distribution and communication services.
It can uproot big trees and cause total damage to crops and vegetation.
Heavy rain can cause flash flooding of low lying areas and flood prone areas from later today.
High waves of more than 5 to 7 metres can be expected over these areas from today.
Significant wave height of 14 metres or more and damaging heavy swells is expected when the eye of the cyclone moves closer. There is a risk of sea flooding of low-lying coastal areas especially during high tide from storm surges and damaging heavy swells today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow, the whole of Fiji is expected to experience damaging winds or stronger, widespread heavy rain that can cause landslides, severe flooding and bursting of river banks, storm surges, damaging heavy swells and high waves that can cause sea flooding in coastal areas.
Have your supplies ready, have some standby non-perishable food items and water, ensure you have a transistor radio and batteries to follow the weather reports on Legend FM and ensure you have emergency lights and torches.
You can also contact us on 3314766, Vodafone number 9923352 or our Digicel number 7734766 for any queries on evacuation centres or assistance for emergency personnel.
Stay with us for developments.
Yasawa has been experiencing heavy rain and strong winds from last night as Tropical Cyclone Yasa moves closer to the Fiji group.
Anare Tiko of Gunu Village in Naviti Island, Yasawa says at 3 this morning, they left for the Gaunavou Primary School.
He says a few coconut trees have been uprooted.
Meanwhile, Pastor Viliame Stark of Nasoqo Village in Naviti Island says the destructive winds are causing heavy swells and they have moved those families beside the sea to the evacuation centre at Gaunavou Primary School.
The Fiji Bus Operators Association has announced that long haul bus services will be halted from this evening while it is uncertain if bus services will be able to operate tomorrow.
From 7pm tonight, only skeleton bus services will operate where it is safe and possible to do so.
Association General Secretary Rohit Latchan says bus services need to be scaled back for the safety of drivers and the travelling public as people conclude final preparations for the impending cyclone.
Latchan says they cannot confirm if there will be bus services tomorrow.
He says bus drivers need to be released to prepare and be with their families as the cyclone approaches so services will be progressively reduced from this evening.
Bus operators are urged to take their directions from authorities and exercise wisdom in operating during this period.
Permanent Secretaries and employers should use their discretion on when to send workers home to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Yasa.
This has been highlighted by the Director of the National Disaster Management Office, Vasiti Soko.
She says cabinet will also decide on the restriction of movement and review the curfew hours.
People should expect disruptions in power supply by tomorrow into Friday as Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasa continues to head towards Fiji.
CEO of Energy Fiji Limited, Hasmukh Patel says the restoration process and time taken will depend on the extent of the damages caused by the system as it took them 7 months to restore power after TC Winston which cost $35 million.
Patel says the survey on the extent of damage will be carried out using a helicopter immediately after the system passes Fiji.
He says they will first restore power to the health centres and hospitals and then they will focus on water pumping stations. They will then focus on the city area and then the residential areas.
If they see any broken power lines, please call them on 913 to report it.
The Director of the National Disaster Management Office, Vasiti Soko says evacuation centres are open to allow people to move in if they feel their houses are not secure.
You can check the list of evacuation centres on our website, fijivillage
Soko says Divisional Commissioners are on the ground to inspect the centres so that it is safe to move in.
She has also confirmed that the MHCC and WG Friendship have been issued notices to secure their buildings.
Soko says that the letter has been issued by the Ministry of Local Government.
She says the cranes on MHCC and WG Plaza will be taken down before TC Yasa hits Fiji tomorrow.
Soko says these letters were also issued to other construction sites in Fiji.
Fiji Airways says all planes which include Airbus A350s, A330s and Boeing 737s will either operate their scheduled freight or repatriation services to Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, or be ferried to Sydney or Auckland over the next two days.
These planes will remain at those ports until weather conditions in Fiji allow for their safe return.
All Fiji Link aircraft will be secured inside the airline’s hangar facilities in Nadi.
The Hong Kong to Nadi repatriation flight which was scheduled to arrive in Fiji tomorrow, has been postponed. The flight will now arrive in Fiji on Monday 21st December.
The Nadi to Sydney repatriation flight scheduled for Saturday has been cancelled. Impacted customers will be booked on the next available Nadi to Sydney repatriation flight.
Fiji Airways says the special ‘FJ 679 Catch the Sunset Flight’, which was to operate on Saturday, has been postponed to now operate on 2nd January 2021.
Tomorrow, flights from Suva to Labasa, Labasa to Suva, Nadi to Labasa, Labasa to Nadi, Nadi to Suva, Suva to Nadi , Suva to Taveuni, Taveuni to Suva, Savusavu to Suva, Suva to Savusavu, Lakeba to Suva and Suva to Lakeba have been cancelled.
On Friday, flights from Suva to Nadi, Nadi to Suva, Nadi to Rotuma , Rotuma to Nadi, Suva to Labasa, Labasa to Suva, Suva to Taveuni, Taveuni to Suva, Suva to Koro, Koro to Suva, Savusavu to Suva and Suva to Savusavu have been cancelled.
People can call Fiji Airways on 6720888 or 3304388 for more information.
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji has issued a stop travel order for all maritime transport involving passengers and cargo.
MSAF Chief Executive Officer Simon Gravenall says all shipmasters, owners and agents for foreign and local ships, pilots, port management operators, marinas and yacht clubs are to cease travel from today.
Gravenall also says in the exercise of the powers conferred to him under the Maritime Transport Act, he exempts ships from inward and outward clearances on the condition that ships do not carry any passengers and cargo when going out to sea for the sole purpose of taking necessary precautionary measures for the approaching Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa.
Floodwaters have entered the compounds of 15 houses at the vulnerable River Road informal settlement in Narere.
It started flooding there at around 3.15 this afternoon.
River Road Settlement Committee President Leone Roko says some families will be moving to Nasinu Sangam School which is their evacuation centre.
He says firefighters are always helpful in relocating the residents.
Tavua District Office Chairman Umesh Prasad says people have taken heed of the cyclone warnings and shutters have been put up on all houses.
Prasad says the situation is very calm at the moment and they have been advising people to secure their homes and buy necessary items such as transistor radio, torch, tinned food and bottled water.
Nadi Chamber of Commerce President Dr Ram Raju says people have been preparing since yesterday which included the necessary shopping.
Another Nadi resident says he has seen people gather in numbers in supermarkets to buy necessary supplies.
Some residents of Nanuku Informal Settlement in Vatuwaqa have started to move from their home to evacuation centres as flood waters have started to enter their compounds.
Nanuku Community Health Worker and resident, Wakeleo Cakacaka-vakavo says they know location of their evacuation centres and they have started to move vulnerable families.
Cakacaka-vakavo says they have learnt from the other cyclones that they have experienced in moving early to evacuation centres early.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
