At 6.30am this morning the National Disaster Council updated the cyclone alert level from BLUE to YELLOW.
Tropical Cyclone Zazu is located south west of Niue and is passing close to Niue with gale force winds and very rough seas affecting the island. As at 4am this morning category 2 TC Zazu with average winds of 95km per hour was located 240km west south-west of Niue moving south ease at about 18km per hour. At this track TC Zazu is expected to be 200km south of Niue at 4pm this afternoon.
Early this morning, the Police informed that first responders had evacuated the Aliluki residents and moved them to higher grounds. The waves are pounding the west coast of the island.
Some residents at Alofi trying to protect their homes from falling trees. Residents of Alofi south provided these pictures from early this morning. (photo credit Tom and Nari Tahega)
The evacuation centres are open for those living on the lower coastal areas. The Niue Primary School located at Paliati is one of the designated evacuation centres. On the southern end of the island, the Liolau Guesthouse is also open as an evacuation centre for the residents of the lower areas on that side of the island.
Yellow alert means that everyone to stay home and minimise all travel on public roads and bush tracks. There are reports of many broken branches and fallen trees in the villages.
The heads of departments of the public service held an urgent meeting at the Emergency Operations centre and announcing that the public servants are to stay at home, only essential services to be on duty.
Sir Roberts and all sea tracks remain closed. The public are encouraged to secure their homes and property.
BCN understands that the main supermarkets are closed. The commercial centre in central Alofi is shuttered up.
BCN news will keep updating as more information comes to hand.