Reports from American Samoa say tropical cyclone Rene is now battering the Manu'a island group.
The cyclone reached the islands at 9 o'clock this morning.
Our correspondent in American Samoa, Monica Miller reports.
"We've just had phone in reports from Ta'u and Fiti-uta and what's happening is that the winds have really picked up speed now and the roofing iron on some of the homes have been blown away and trees have been uprooted. That's the extent of the strength of the winds but they were not able to give us the velocity of the winds but they said that it's really going strong now."
Monica Miller.
Tropical cyclone Rene is due to hit American Samoa's main island later today.
Pago Pago International Airport has now been closed and both Polynesian and Inter Island Air have suspended their inter island flights.
