The tropical depression that was affecting Fiji earlier this week has been upgraded to Tropical cyclone Evan and could hit Fiji by as early as this Sunday.

This has prompted calls for communities to be be prepared now, heed warnings, and act responsibly, to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and/or property.

A statement by the Fiji Met office last night predicted that Evan was 300km west of Apia in Samoa and could intensify and reach category 2 or storm force in the next 24 hours.

The New Zealand Herald reports that Cyclone Evan is expected to hit Samoa today with wind speeds of up to 80km/hr.

At its current track, the cyclone is predicted to make a u-turn towards the south, over Samoa, and head back towards the west, later tomorrow.

The weather office says if Evan maintains its projected track and intensity trend after leaving Samoa, it should move across the northern parts of Tonga on Saturday and arrive into the Fiji waters by Sunday, at least as a category 2.

Additionally, ahead of this cyclone, as it heads for Fiji, damaging heavy easterly swells are expected.

These can cause damages to, and sea flooding of, low-lying coastal areas.