Tropical Cyclone Vaianu

Overview

Tropical Cyclone Vaianu formed in the South Pacific in early April 2026 and rapidly intensified to a Category 3 system as it passed near western Fiji. The cyclone brought heavy rain, damaging winds of up to 111 km/h, and widespread flooding across Fiji's Western and Central divisions. Over 1,400 people were evacuated, with 1,360 affected and 1,284 displaced. Dozens of roads and crossings were cut off, schools and universities were closed, and all domestic flights were cancelled. Power and water outages hit multiple regions. By April 10, the cyclone had moved southwest and was tracking toward New Zealand's North Island, where MetService issued potentially life-threatening warnings. Northland declared a state of emergency as the storm was forecast to bring over 200 mm of rain and damaging wind gusts across the North Island through the weekend. The Fiji Red Cross Society and IFRC coordinated initial relief efforts including damage assessments and evacuation support.