An Air Force Hercules is on its way Fiji carrying much-needed food rations and other emergency supples.

Cyclone Tomas is moving south east away from the group of Pacific islands, but it remains unclear just how much damage the cyclone has left in its wake. A state of disaster has been declared, and it is feared there will have been a number of deaths.

As well as helping to distribute aid locally, the Hercules will fly a reconnaissance mission over the outer northern islands worst hit by the storm. Communications to those remote islands are still down.

Overnight Cyclone Tomas dropped to a Category 3 cyclone and has lost his eye.  Tomas is quickly moving away from Fiji and is now moving across open water where he will quickly fall apart.

– With NewstalkZB.co.nz