24 Jan 2013

Fiji met service expects Garry to impact Southern Cooks

6:39 am on 24 January 2013

Fiji's Met office expects tropical cyclone Garry to impact on the Southern Cook Islands.

On duty forecaster, Sunjay Prakash says this morning the cyclone was about 400 nautical miles north west of Palmerston island, moving at 6 knots in a north east direction.

But he says it has winds of at least 50 knots at its centre and he expects that to intensify.

"Based on our official forecast track we expect the Cyclone Garry to make a direct impact on the southern Cook Islands. It will probably be affecting them from tomorrow, southern Cooks, and then move across just west of Aitutaki and towards Rarotonga by Saturday."

Sunjay Prakash says the cyclone remains a category two cyclone.