Pacific / Cook Islands

Tropical cyclone warning issued for Niue

15:56 pm on 18 January 2016

A tropical cyclone alert has been issued for Niue as cyclone Victor continues to move south between the island and the southern Cook Islands.

Map tracking Cyclone Victor Photo: Fiji Met Service

The advisory warns of damaging gale force winds for Niue in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The system is still a category three as it moves south at 11 kilometres an hour, with average sustained winds of 120 kilometres an hour, gusting to 140 kilometres an hour.

In the Cook Islands, a gale warning remains in place for the atoll of Palmerston and a strong wind warning remains for the rest of the southern islands.

The cyclone is expected to continue in a southerly direction between Palmerston and Niue, which are located hundreds of kilometers to either side of the storm system, before weakening and veering west.