TC Zena downgraded to Cat 2 and moving away from Fiji

Tropical Cyclone Zena has been downgraded to a category 2 system and is slowly making its way out of the group.

Tropical Cyclone Forecaster Misaele Funaki says it was great news for many parts of Fiji when the system started weakening late last night into early this morning.

He says we are fortunate that the system weakened as it posed a real threat to Fiji.

Funaki says Cyclone Zena encountered some cooler sea surface temperatures and some strong upper winds which affected its structure and downgraded it to a Category two system.

He says the cooler systems affected the amount of moisture in the cyclone.

Cyclone Zena is now located 350 kilometres South East of Suva and is expected to leave the group within the next 3 hours.

Ono–i-Lau is expected to get strong winds of 110 kilometres per hour gusting to 155 kilometres per hour.

Rain will also be easing now as the active trough has also weakened.

The heavy rain warning previously in force for the Fiji group is now cancelled.