I. International
Fiji - Tropical Cyclone WINSTON (ECHO, OCHA, GDACS, RSMC Nadi, Local Authorities, Media)
TC WINSTON remains a category 5 cyclone. On 21 February at 0800 UTC it had maximum sustained windspeed of 205km/h and gusts of up to 285 km/h. TC WINSTON is currently 300 km west of the Fijian Island of Viwa moving west at 24 km/h, away from populated areas.
At least five people are reported killed and large areas of the archipelago remain without power, water supplies and communications, heavy rains have brought flash flooding, landslides and coastal inundation.
Fiji has declared a state of emergency for 30 days, with schools ordered to shut. A nationwide curfew will continue until Monday morning with electricity supply to some areas deliberately cut, to avert further damage or injury.
OCHA has placed an emergency response team on standby, New Zealand has supplied a plane to provide damage assessments and the government of Australia has offered aerial assets to provide surveillance of outer-lying islands.
ECHO is closely monitoring the situation. An ECHO expert will travel to Fiji, as soon as flights resume, to assess the humanitarian impact of the cyclone and advise on the need for humanitarian assistance.