“Fiji has its first tropical cyclone for the season, a category-one system”

The tropical depression east of Solomon Islands intensified into a tropical cyclone early Tuesday morning local time, the Fiji Meteorological Service says. The Fiji Meteorological Service said tropical cyclone Mal is a category one system. Schools in Fiji are closed on Tuesday, and Wednesday local time, and all public servants have been instructed to work from home. Fiji’s Metservice said at 3am local time, Mal was positioned about 450km West of Rotuma – Fiji’s northern most island – and about 720km north west of Nadi. It’s moving south, south eastward at about 28kmph. Forecaster Samisoni Waqavakatoga said on it’s current track, the eye of the cyclone will get closest to Fiji at 3am Wednesday morning and be 170km west of Nadi. “It is still a category one but there are high chances the environment is favourable for Mal to intensify further into a category two system within the next 6 to 12 hours before heading into Fiji waters,” Waqavakatoga said.