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Another deluge is poised to hit Pacific paradise Fiji as the islands are reeling from flooding.
Thousands of Fijians have already sought refuge at evacuation centres and now have just two days to clean up before the next wave is predicted to hit on Thursday.
"I heard there was another cyclone coming so I just wanted to try to get out of there," says a fleeing tourist.
As tourists flee the locals have nowhere to go. The death toll from the downpours is now at seven, including a three-year-old girl who got caught in a landslide.
The death toll is expected to rise as relief teams have been unable to get to some cut off villages
The police are urging families to look out for each other.
"We again urge members of the community, especially parents and guardians and elders, to talk to their children to refrain from playing in flooded areas in creeks or in rivers," says Superintendent Erami Raibe of Fiji police.
The country's Western Division is worst hit, with more heavy rain on the way and looking likely to continue into next week. Many places are under water after a storm dumped 400 millimetres of rain in 12 hours.
Some have lost everything.
"I don't think there'd be any single person that could say they haven't been affected. Everyone has been affected and it's a very sad day in Nadi today," says Patiliai Dobui of Disaster Management.
More than 6,000 people have sought refuge at 114 evacuation centres set up by Fiji's National Disaster Management Centre around the islands, where food is being rationed and there are attempts to get water reconnected.
Health officials are warning of risks such as typhoid and other diseases related to contaminated water.
Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama declared a state of emergency at the weekend and curfews were imposed in some areas to prevent looting after days of heavy rains in the country's west.
Many are worried about looming bad weather.
"For this morning all that we have been doing is helping those that are in the evacuation camps," says Dobui.
The interim government is holding an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday after it gets assessments of the damage so far.
Locals are being told to sit tight in their homes, if they still have them.
"Those who are in their homes, it will depend on the assessment that will come after that and that will depend very much on the good weather," says Dobui.
Planes out of Nadi are fully booked and many tourists are still holed up in their hotels, with flights disrupted in some airports and roads shut.
But flight into Fiji are continuing to operate and there has been no official travel warning given to travellers to change their plans.
However good weather is not on the horizon for Fiji as the islands will have to bunker down for more bad weather.
New Zealand aid
The New Zealand government has promised Fiji aid despite its diplomatic standoff with Fiji's military regime.
But the initial $100,000 payment will be channelled through the Red Cross, not the self-appointed government.
"We've made available up to $100,000 of financial assistance which'll be targeted primarily at relief supplies, tarpaulins, aid, food, medicines, that sort of thing," says Murray McCully, Foreign Minister.
New Zealand's High Commissioner was expelled from Fiji last month but McCully says that is no reason to deny ordinary Fijians the help they need.
The government says it is willing to consider more aid if it is needed.
On a smaller scale, an Auckland-based Hindi radio station is collecting donations from listeners in a 54 hour radiothon.
"People started calling. We have talkback shows and people were concerned that 'we are here but our family they're suffering back home'. So what are the ways we can help them? That's why we thought why we don't have a radiothon?" says Shaiyaz Mohammed, general manager at Apna 990am.
Flood Victim appeal
Radio Apna is running an appeal for victims for 54 hours from 6pm Monday January 12 until midnight Wednesday January 14. To call in and pledge money, people can ring 8362990 or 8367990
To deposit money directly into a relief fund account it
is:
BNZ
02-0108-0043563-01
The money collected will be distributed from Radio Apna's Fiji office in Lautoka to the victims affected by the floods.
A Fiji Relief Account has also been set up at the ANZ Bank. You can donate at any branch.
