People in parts of the country especially Vanua Levu and the eastern part of Viti Levu are experiencing rain as Tropical Depression 03F moves closer to the group.

The system was located approximately 860 kilometers to the north North West of Labasa as of 10 this morning.

It is slowly moving south at around 11km/hr and the Fiji Meteorological Services says the projection hasn’t changed.

Fiji Met director Misaele Funaki says the system it is expected to continue moving southwards and is expected to pass just west of Yasawa and Mamanuca group from later tomorrow.

“So while we are anticipating the system or the center of the system to move closer to us tomorrow, the rain has started to come on to the group. And the latest analysis and the radar shows that the rain is currently being experienced towards Vanua Levu and it will slowly spread to the rest of the group throughout the day.”

Funaki says given that the rainbands which feed onto TD03F is broad and quiet spread-out, the system is rather slow in its intensification.

He says the impact from the system will be felt from early tomorrow morning.

The message that we normally tell people right now is that rain is already on us and as the system comes closer, the winds will also increase and also bearing in mind that it is going to track just to the West of us. But the time of concern for us is towards tomorrow morning as the winds come closer. But for the system to come closer we are looking at around midday and later part of tomorrow.”

The Met director also warns that people need to act now as the system is expected to gradually intensify and will become a tropical cyclone tomorrow.

“Right now the models predicting that as it comes closer it will gradually intensify.  First it will become a Tropical Cyclone, we will name it Sarai as you all know and also as it comes closer – the models are predicting that it could be a category 3 system and in stating this we’d like people to prepare accordingly as we anticipate the system to move closer to us from tomorrow.