Cyclone Yasa devastated Fiji overnight with wind gusts tearing roofs off buildings and power cuts in some villages.
Thousands of people across the islands were forced into evacuation centres as the country entered a nationwide curfew between Thursday 4pm to Friday 6am (local time).
"It's a nightmare," Banuve Lasaqa Lusi, a resident of Labasa, told RNZ. "The thunderous sound of the wind and what is flying around is what's frightening."
Photos from overnight show roads and homes flooded due to heavy rainfall and Lusi said power had been cut from the town.
She told RNZ despite some communications issues, she had made some contact with people in the Bua region who were also struggling.
"People have had their houses flattened, have escaped with the clothes on their back and are sheltering under beds, under houses as they await help," she said.
"Help that most probably will come when the winds die down."
WeatherWatch says the category 5 Cyclone Yasa has passed over Fiji's main two islands and, as of Friday morning, lies southeast of Vanua Levu.
"The storm has moved through at quite a good speed overnight and is now tracking away from Fiji’s main islands at 26km/h.
"The storm will be seriously impacting many islands to the south-east and will continue to do so with destructive and life-threatening conditions for much of today. Meanwhile, on Vanua Levu and Viti Levu we expect to see an improvement and easing of conditions across today."
Fiji Metservice forecaster Sakeasi Waibute told Newshub on Friday morning that they have also seen signs of the cyclone weakening.
"It's still a category five but hopefully by early this morning, it should be a category 4," he said.
"But the weakening will be gradual as it proceeds down to the south. We are seeing very destructive storm winds and heavy rain."
He said the worst of the cyclone is expected to be over by early Saturday morning (local time).
WeatherWatch said there is now a risk the cyclone could be exposed to Tonga, although a direct hit isn't forecast.
