TROPICAL Cyclone Pam is expected to intensify into a category 4 system tomorrow, when it will be closest to Fiji, at 800km west of Nadi.
And the national weather office has described associated rainbands it will bring as a “monster” system because it will affect the whole country.
Fiji Meteorological Service acting director Aminiasi Tuidraki said Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam had dumped about 495mm of rain on the Santa Cruz Islands over a 24-hour period and this was indicative of how much rain Fiji could expect.
“Even though severe Tropical Cyclone Pam is more than 1000km to the northwest of us, we are already feeling the effects,” Mr Tuidraki said.
“Some parts of the northern Lau Group and Vanua Levu have already registered about 100mm of rain in the past 24 hours and that’s an indication of what this system can deliver, and this is why we have issued a heavy rain warning for the whole country.
“People need to take into consideration that in 2012, it only took continuous rain for six hours to cause widespread flooding and people really need to be prepared and take the necessary steps so they are not caught off-guard.”
Mr Tuidraki said the public may become complacent because nothing had developed since the first warnings went out a few days ago and he urged people to take the necessary precautions.
“We must stay alert. In terms of wind, it’s not a big threat but we cannot underestimate this system both in terms of the level of rainfall it is expected to bring and the wind strength.
“The winds coming off this system have the ability to take down trees even though we are quite far away from the centre.”
Mr Tuidraki said the weather office could not provide information on how soon the rains would develop into floods but would provide this information once river levels began to reach the critical level.
Upgraded to a category 3, Tropical Cyclone Pam was located near 11.1 degrees south and 169.5 degrees east or about 1100km northwest of Nadi at 2pm yesterday.
It has average wind speeds of 150km hour close to the centre and is moving towards the southwest at 8km/hr.
It is expected to maintain a southerly track for the next 48 hours and is expected to continue intensifying and will develop into a category 4 system in the next 18 to 30 hours.
On the current projected path, it is expected to track to the west of Fiji.
On its projected path, TC Pam is expected to lie about 950km northwest of Nadi at 2pm today, and about 820km west of Nadi at 2pm tomorrow.
TC Pam is not expected to directly affect Fiji. However, associated active rainbands will bring heavy rain over the country with possibly strong and gusty northwest winds.
A heavy rain warning is now in force for all Fiji group and a strong wind warning remains in force for all land and waters in Rotuma.