20 Mar 2014

Tropical cyclone Mike starts to weaken

8:06 am on 20 March 2014

The Fiji Meteorological Service says the cyclone which developed near the Cook Islands is now starting to weaken.

Tropical cyclone Mike, a category one cyclone, was 407 kilometres south-southeast of Rarotonga at 6.30 this morning.

A Fiji Meteorological Service forecaster, Amit Singh, says the cyclone has winds of 35 knots close to the centre with momentary gusts of 50 knots.

He says the cyclone is now beginning to weaken.

"We still have a special weather bulletin for some islands of the Southern Cooks which will will be cancelling in the next five to six hours. It is over the ocean now and it won't affect any land areas the whole of its life and it will weaken out in the waters."

Amit Singh says they have not received any reports of damage from the Cook Islands.