More than 20 people are dead and hundreds of homes have been destroyed after Cyclone Winston struck Fiji with recorded wind gusts of up to 201 miles per hour.
A curfew remains in place, schools have been ordered to shut for a week and a 30 day state of emergency has been declared.
The death toll from Cyclone Winston that battered the island of Fiji has risen to 17.
The clean-up began on the Pacific island nation this morning after remote villages were flattened by the fierce gales.
"The death toll from Cyclone Winston continues to rise and reports of widespread damage are coming in from across Fiji," said New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully. "It is clear that Fiji faces a major cleanup and recovery operation."
The majority of the fatalities were along the western coast and were caused mainly by flying debris and drowning in storm surges, authorities said.
There were also fears for seven fishermen believed to be missing at sea.
A curfew remains in place, schools have been ordered to shut for a week and a 30 day state of emergency has been declared.
The government has warned people not to be complacent as the most powerful cyclone to hit the island makes landfall