Fiji issues heavy rain alert as Tropical Cyclone Pam nears

Fiji's weather authorities issued a heavy rain and strong wind alert on Wednesday as Tropical Cyclone Pam, upgraded to category 3, approaches the South Pacific island country.

Tropical Cyclone Pam, previously Tropical Depression 11F, has been moving slowly over the last four days towards the southwest of the Fiji Group and may further upgrade to category 4, weather forecasters said.

Ravind Kumar, principal scientific officer of the Fiji Meteorological Service, said on its projected path, Tropical Cyclone Pam is expected to lie 950 kilometers northwest of Fiji's tourism town of Nadi at 8 a.m. Thursday, and by Friday it will be 740 kilometers west of Nadi.

The cyclone has not posed any direct threat to Fiji yet, Kumar said.

"At this stage, Tropical Cyclone Pam still does not pose any immediate threat and is not expected to affect Fiji directly. However from today and possibly into the weekend the associated rain bands will bring heavy rain at time over the country with possibly strong and gusty northwest winds with speeds up to 45 kilometers per hour," Kumar told the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

The Fiji Meteorological Service is advising the public to be prepared and not to go out to sea as the cyclone nears.

In Vanuatu, Fiji's westerly neighbor, the cyclone has kept all vessels in port. Endi