As Tropical Cyclone Mal has intensified into a category 3 system this morning villagers of Kese in Yasawa are sharing their homes with other people in the village and taking shelter for the night.
Police Officer on duty at the Kese Community Post, Constable Pritesh Nagan says due to the quality of their houses, the village elders have agreed that families should share the night with other family members.
Nagan says after the announcement made by the Director of the National Disaster Management Office, movement in the village is being monitored and controlled.
He says at 6pm yesterday, the sea was rough and there were strong winds but it has cleared now and the sea is calm but they will continue to monitor until everything is cleared.
Meanwhile, TC Mal has intensified into a category 3 system with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres per hour and gusts of 165 kilometres per hour close to its centre and at this stage, hurricane-force winds are not expected to be over the land areas.
TC Mal was located 140 kilometres west-southwest of Viwa and 185km west of Nadi at midnight.
It is moving in a south-southeast direction at about 22 kilometres per hour to the Fiji Group.
The worst of the impact of TC Mal is expected to be felt until early this morning.
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