Tropical Cyclone Wati has strengthened into a Category 2 system as it makes its way south through the Cook Islands.
The Cook Islands Meteorological Service has issued various weather alerts across the whole of the Cook Islands group.
Wati currently lies over the Northern Cook Islands and is expected to move southeast during this weekend and it is expected to intensify into a Category 3 system for a time on Sunday, while remaining over the open waters.
At 8am local time, Tropical Cyclone Wati was located approximately 160km south of Suwarrow moving southeast at 12km/h.
The system has maximum sustained winds of 100km/h near its centre, with gusts reaching 140km/h.
Tropical Cyclone Wati is expected to approximately be 300km south-southeast of Suwarrow around 2pm and also about 270km north-northeast of Palmerston and 420km northwest of Aitutaki, and 200km north-northwest of Aitutaki by 2am on Sunday.
The Cook Islands Meteorological Service has urged locals to get ready and be prepared.
The Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI) has advised locals to know where their nearest safety shelter is located.
It’s posted on Facebook an interactive map for people to find a shelter near them and plan their route before an emergency, if necessary.
