A tropical cyclone warning took effect on Friday evening for all of the Southern Cook Islands ahead of Cyclone Garry's expected landfall on Saturday.
The category 3 storm has been moving in easterly direction towards Aitutaki.
A hotel owner on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands says people on the atoll have spent all day preparing for the arrival of Cyclone Garry.
Mike White, from the Aretamanu beach hotel, says cyclones are fact of life for the people of Aitutaki but people are particularly nervous this year after the devastating effect of Cyclone Pat nearly two years ago.
