Updated
Officials in Fiji are starting to assess the damage after Cyclone Evan hit the Pacific island nation, causing major flooding and packing destructive 270 kilometre-per-hour winds.
More than 3,500 people spent the night in emergency shelters in Fiji as the biggest cyclone in 20 years swept past the island nation.
Some parts of Fiji recorded up to 200mm of rain in a 24-hour period as the category four storm passed to the north-western side of the main Fijian islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu.
There has been widespread flooding, homes have been destroyed and some bridges and roads were damaged.
Officials say northern parts of the country also lost power.
Suva-based meteorologist, Neville Koop, said many people were expected to remain at evacuation centres over the coming days.
"A lot of the evacuation centres were open very early in the north of the country and in the west, and in the central division," he said.
"The experiences of Cyclone Evan over Samoa has given people sort of a very vivid picture of what the potential was of damage for this system.
"So it looks as though many people took advantage of that opportunity to seek shelter early."
Photo: A damaged home in Volivilo Beach in Rakiraki, Fiji, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Cyclone Evan has battered the South Pacific island state of Fiji with 200km/h winds, cutting power and water supplies in the northern region. (AAP Image: Jonacani Lalakobau) 
Photo: A fire officer in Rakiraki, Fiji, assists families to an evacuation centre on December 17, 2012. Cyclone Evan has battered the South Pacific island state of Fiji, cutting power and water supplies in the northern region. (AAP: ATU RASEA) 
Photo: Pita Turgagaviti clears away branches from a tree that collapsed on top of a car shelter outside a house in Laucala Bay Road near Suva (AFP: Joshua Kuku) 
Photo: Cyclone Evan whips up strong winds and rough seas along Queen Elizabeth Drive in Suva on December 17, 2012. (Reuters: Fiji Ministry of Information) 
Photo: A car is covered by debris in the wake of Cyclone Evan in Samoa, December 14, 2012. (ABC News: Dominique Schwartz) 
Photo: Cyclone Evan brings flooding to Wailea settlement in Fiji on December 17, 2012. (Facebook: Fiji Ministry of Information)
Photo: A massive old pulu tree lies uprooted in Apia on Friday. [Image: Zaskiya Lesa; Facebook: Go the Manu] 
Photo: Floodwaters surge down a street in a town in Samoa as Tropical Cyclone Evan dumps torrential rain on December 13, 2012. (One News NZ) 
Photo: Debris lays strewn after Cyclone Evan tore through Samoa, December 14, 2012. (ABC News: Dominique Schwartz) 
Photo: This image, posted on Facebook, shows the collapsed entrance walkway at the Faleolo Airport Terminal, as Apia braces for Cyclone Evan. (Facebook: Ben Lavea Muamua) 
Photo: The force of the cyclone is seen in this image of a car crushed up against a building near Lelata Bridge. Lelata was one of the worst-hit areas [Image: Kristian Scanlan; Facebook: Go the Manu] 
Photo: Samoa is bracing for the for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Evan (Instagram: @rob_ahsam)
Photo: Tree ripped out of the ground in front of the Central Bank of Samoa building in Apia. (Facebook: Seti Afoa) 
Photo: The view from Radio Polynesia at Savalalo, looking out to Treasure Garden and Fugalei on Thursday December 13, 2012. (Facebook: Taumasina Keil) 
Photo: Remains of a building in the wake of Cyclone Evan in Samoa, December 14, 2012. (ABC News: Dominique Schwartz) 
Photo: A satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Evan hovering over Samoa and American Samoa on December 13, 2012. (NASA Goddard) 
Photo: Flooding leaves Apia Park under water. (Facebook: Samaria Mitchell) 
Photo: Cyclone Evan emerged on Wednesday when a tropical depression deepened 300km southwest of Apia and moved eastward toward the city (Samoa Meteorological Service) 
Photo: Tiavi area, Cross Island Road as Samoa experiences Cyclone Evan (Facebook: Anna Aiolupotea via GoTheManu)
Gallery: In pictures: Cyclone Evan
ABC reporter Matt Wordsworth, who is in the tourist town of Nadi, said with Cyclone Evan further out to sea this morning, the wind has died down and the rain had stopped.
"Last night was a different story. It was five or six hours of ferocious conditions," he said.
"I was down at an evacuation centre with some of the locals as we tried to wait out the storm and even at the school where we were at, trees were getting snapped off around us.
"Debris is now choking the streets and workers are out chopping it up so people can move around.
"There's no running water, no power and phone services are pretty patchy.
"There have been many homes that have been blown apart and corrugated iron litters the roads.
"The recovery effort has swung into action, but with power outages so common throughout the entire nation, it's going to be a little while until that's restored."
Last week, Cyclone Evan killed four people when it hit Samoa as a category one.
As it churned through warm waters it gained size and energy hitting the islands of Fiji as a category four.
Topics: weather, cyclone, fiji
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