Tropical Cyclone Evan continues lashed the Republic of Fiji with peak sustained winds the equivalent of a category-four storm Monday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The Republic of Fiji (population estimate: 890,000) is a group of islands in the south Pacific about 1265 miles northeast of New Zealand.
The eye of Tropical Cyclone Evan scraped the west coast of the republic's largest island, Viti Levu, Monday afternoon and evening, local time.
A wind gust to 94 mph was clocked in the west coastal town of Nadi at 7pm local time.
Sunday, Evan's outer rainbands and heavy squalls lashed the northern island of Vanua Levu.
According to nbcnews.com staff and wire reports, more than 3,500 people had evacuated to emergency shelters in advance of the storm.
The center of Evan is now pulling south-southwestward, away from Fiji. Winds will gradually taper off and the locally heavy rainbands will pull away. That said, lingering flash flooding and mudslides are possible. At this time, we expect Tropical Cyclone Evan to weaken significantly before threatening the north island of New Zealand.
According to NOAA's Coastal Services Center, Evan is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Fiji in 15 years, since Tropical Cyclone Gavin in March 1997.
Dating to 1972, there has been only 1 other tropical cyclone of at least category four equivalent intensity to have tracked through the Republic of Fiji, Tropical Cyclone Hina in March 1985.
According to Weather Underground's Dr. Jeff Masters and Christopher C. Burt, Evan was one of Samoa's most destructive tropical cyclones on record when it hit the islands late last week.