Tropical Cyclone (TC) Ruby has not intensified further as anticipated last night and is still a category 2 system.

However, this morning clouds and thunderstorms have started rotating over the weather system with the centre currently located just over the northern tip of New Caledonia.

TC Ruby is bringing a lot of rain with damaging gale to destructive storm force winds (110 kilometres per hour gusting to 155 kilometres per hour) over New Caledonia.

The TC Ruby is expected to further intensify into a category 3 system around midday today to tonight.

The weather system is expected to continue to move east southeast across New Caledonia, to the far south of Fiji and North of New Zealand.

TC Ruby it is not expected to have any direct threat over the Fiji Group.

Yet, as the system passes to the far south of Fiji, expect the northerly wind flow to be dominating over the group from Thursday.

Figure 1: Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map for Tropical Cyclone Ruby (Category 2) issued by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre- Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre at 7.50am today.

Typically, when northerly wind flows are over Fiji, it brings humid conditions, heavy rain, thunderstorm activity and gusty winds over the group.

These associated weather conditions is expected over Fiji from later on Thursday and ease off on Sunday.

The northern and western parts of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group will mainly be impacted as these are areas exposed to the northerly winds.

The wider Suva area should also expect some heavy downpour.

Rain has been falling for the last couple of days and with already saturated soil there is possibility of flash floods and landslides in areas of heavy rain and flood prone areas.

The weather should normalise over Fiji by next week Monday where normal trade showers will dominate again over Fiji.

TC Ruby is expected to exit the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Area of Responsibility (AoR) to the far south of Fiji by midday tomorrow.

The Fiji Meteorological Service will continue to monitor this weather event and update warnings and forecasts accordingly.

Figure 2: Tropical Cyclone Forecast Threat Map for Tropical Cyclone Ruby (Category 2) issued by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre- Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre at 7.57am today.

For more information and clarification: please contact the Acting Director of Meteorology, Mr. Terry Atalifo on (679) 9905379 or via email at terry.atalifo@met.gov.fj.

Feedback: rosi.doviverata@fijisun.com.fj