Fiji is braced for the full force of tropical cyclone Sarai
Holidaymakers are stranded with flights to and from Fiji cancelled or schedules changed as the island nation braces for a tropical cyclone due to hit today.
Travellers are being urged to check their flight schedules in New Zealand and Fiji as airlines make last minute changes because of Tropical CycloneSarai.
Aucklander Hannah Moloney is with a group of friends staying at a holiday home on the Coral Coast - about an hour-and-a-half from Nadi.
The predicted track for Cyclone Sarai issued at 0700 27 December 2019. Photo / Fiji Meteorological Office
They were due to fly home at midday today, but are now stuck there until at least Sunday.
"We just got up and got ready and packed and went to head off to the airport and then we got the alert from Air New Zealand that the flights were cancelled.
"It hasn't stopped raining since about 8 o'clock last night and it's just literally rained non-stop and all the flights are now cancelled.
"They're predicting that tomorrow's flights will be cancelled as well and the worst of it is meant to hit tonight."
She said electricity was out, but that they were lucky in that the place they were staying had a generator.
They include two Auckland-bound flights from Nadi that have had to be cancelled because of bad weather conditions.
Tropical Depression #TD03F named as #TCSARAI
Yadra #TeamFiji Rain is anticipated to become frequent with squally thunderstorms whereby low lying areas are expected to be flooded. #StaySafe
Other flights from Nadi to Samoa, Los Angeles and Melbourne have all been brought forward - with the latter being advanced by six hours in a bid to avoid the worst of the cyclone.
Passengers heading to Fiji from Auckland early this morning were still able to board on flights scheduled around 5.30am.
A tree blocks the road on Edinburgh Drive, Suva, as winds pick up from Cyclone Sarai. Photo / Fiji Roads Authority
However, eight flights bound for Nadi were all cancelled, according to the Auckland International Airport website.
They included an Air New Zealand (NZ52) flight at 9.35am and several flights that had been scheduled via Singapore Airlines and Fiji Airways throughout the day and night.
Two 7am flights due out of Auckland tomorrow have also been cancelled.
Tropical Cyclone Sarai was upgraded to a category 1 event early today.
The latest update issued by MetService Fiji said winds of up to 70k/hr were expected close to its centre and it was expected to intensify into a category 2 system.
That would result in winds reaching up to 100km/h close to the eye. It is due to pass just southwest of Nadi at 1am tomorrow.
"As the system moves closer to Fiji, expect northerly winds to pick up and reach damaging gale force - approximately 65km/h with gusts to 90km/h over Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands," MetService Fiji said.
People in Fiji are being told to expect rain to become frequent and heavy, with squally thunderstorms and flash flooding in low lying areas.
