A heavy rain alert has been upgraded to a warning for several parts of the country as adverse weather conditions intensify.
The National Weather Forecasting Centre in Nadi, in its special weather bulletin issued at 6.30am today, confirmed that a heavy rain warning is now in force for the Northern Division, interior and eastern parts of Viti Levu, Lomaiviti and the Yasawa Group.
A heavy rain alert remains in effect for the rest of Fiji.
The upgrade comes as a trough of low pressure continues to lie over the country, bringing widespread cloud, showers and rain expected to persist over the next few days.
Affected areas under warning can expect occasional to periods of rain, heavy at times, along with thunderstorms.
For other parts of the country, occasional rain and isolated thunderstorms are forecast, with conditions expected to worsen into frequent and heavy rain, particularly during the afternoon and evening.
Authorities are warning of flash flooding in low-lying and flood-prone communities, businesses and Irish crossings, which may lead to traffic disruptions.
Urban areas with poor drainage may also experience surface flooding, while wet roads and reduced visibility during heavy downpours could increase the risk of road accidents.
In the last 24 hours, Nasinu recorded significant rainfall of 151 millimetres, highlighting the intensity of the current weather system.
