Vanuatu

The Fiji Meteorology Service says the huge weather system is moving south-east at 24km/h. It says it will be more than 12 hours before it leaves the Vanuatu group of islands.

Its winds are estimated at 165km/h, gusting up to 230km/h.

RNZ Pacific reports on Friday night the Vanuatu Meteorology Service upgraded the tropical cyclone to a category 4 before its power went out.

A category 4 cyclone with destructive winds of up to 150 km per hour and gusting to 200 km per hour, has also caused severe damage to infrastructure, buildings, connectivity, and crops.

Port Vila and Tanna felt the brunt of the cyclone with power outage and water cuts in some of the worst affected communities.

Vanuatu Red Cross is working with authorities to ascertain how many households require immediate assistance as well as provide first aid to individuals.

Vanuatu Red Cross Secretary General, Dickinson Tevi said:

It comes as the country deals with a second cyclone, called Kevin, which is bearing down on the country.

At 2am local time the now category 3 cyclone was about 165km south-west of Santo and 225km west north-west of Malekula.

RNZ Pacific reports red alerts are in place for Sanma, Malampa, and Penama, with damaging gale force winds expected to affect those provinces within the next 12 hours.

Yellow alerts are in place for Torba and Shefa.

Meanwhile, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake has struck just offshore of Vanuatu.

The quake was 86km west south west of Port-Olry and was 10km below the earth's surface, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It struck just after 5am local time.

RNZ Pacific reports no tsunami warning was issued.

Cyclone Judy battered Vanuatu on Wednesday, cutting off telecommunication in parts of the nation, and just 24 hours later the country is preparing for a second cyclone.

A state of emergency was declared because of damage caused by the first storm.

The storm originated south of Solomon Islands on Wednesday and is expected to move south-east bringing gale force winds to Vanuatu tonight and later to New Caledonia.

The Fiji Meteorological Service issued a gale warning for Cyclone Kevin.

A spokesperson, Stephen Meke, told RNZ Pacific it was a category one and it was expected to intensify into a category two by Thursday evening with gale force winds to have a big impact on Vanuatu.

The islands of Erramango and Tanna were expected to be hit hard.

Vanuatu Meteorology said Tafea remained under red alert.

On Thursday morning local time the centre of the storm was about 245km south-east of Tanna and 150km south-east of Aneityum, the forecaster said.

RNZ pacific reports destructive hurricane force winds of 165km/h, gusting to 230km/h, were forecast to affect an area 30 nautical miles from the centre of the system and would continue to affect Tafea province on Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon Judy was upgraded to a category four storm.

Vanuatu emergency management spokesperson Brenda Williams said a Red Alert has been issued for much of the country.

She said residents are being advised to stay home, and police are assisting with evacuations.

A journalist in Vanuatu, Dan McGarry, is in the capital Port Vila and told RNZ Pacific people there are hunkering down.

"The weather has become quite dramatic, and it is unsafe to be outside. It's very noisy and very dangerous.

RNZ Pacific reports the area administrator Jean Vianey Barang said apart from a tar-sealed road, no other reconstruction has been carried out in the central and southern parts of Pentecost.

He said some school buildings, including dormitories and classrooms, remain without roofs and windows.

School buildings, including dormitories and classrooms, need major repairs.

The appeal was made during a visit to Melsisi by Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau last week.

RNZ Pacific reports the category three cyclone is bearing down on Vanuatu's northern provinces, moving in a southerly direction.

In its latest cyclone warning the Vanuatu Metservice said destructive hurricane-force winds of 150km/h gusting to 200km/h will affect the central and southern islands.

Air Vanuatu cancelled all domestic and international flights yesterday and today, with flights expected to resume on Thursday.

Banks closed their doors early Wednesday afternoon and sent staff home.

Boarding schools in the capital have also sent students home.

The Nadi to Port Vila service as well as the return flight have been cancelled.

The airline says subject to weather conditions, flights are expected to operate as normal on Thursday.

Customers whose travel has been disrupted will be accommodated on the Thursday flights.

Category cyclone two TC Judy is located 175km from Vanua Lava in northern Vanuatu.

The cyclone is slow moving and expected to develop into a category three system.

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