Severe Tropical Cyclone Harold has upgraded to a Category 5 system.

At 3am today, TC Harold was located approximately 1270km west-northwest of Nadi.

On the current track, it is expected to pass just to the southwest of Fiji from Wednesday.

For the Pacific, #TCHarold –– now a Category 5 storm with Vanuatu in its path –– couldn’t come at a worse time.

Flights are grounded, foreign aid workers have withdrawn, and medical supplies are limited.

The world must be prepared to respond to this disaster at our doorsteps.

— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) April 5, 2020

Maximum sustained winds near the center close to 110 knots or about 200km/hr.

As TC Harold moves closer to Fiji, the associated rain bands with northerly windy conditions can be expected from tomorrow onwards before the center passes on Wednesday.