© VANUATU METEOROLOGICAL SERVICECyclone Donna covers Vanuatu's vast archipelago.
Cyclone Donna is now the worst-ever tropical storm to hit the South Pacific in May after reaching Category 5 this morning.
Weatherwatch.co.nz said according to CNN's Severe Weather Team
Donna now had sustained winds of 215km/h gusting up to a ferocious 260km/h, making it the strongest May cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.It eclipses Tropical Cyclone Nadu which struck in 1986.
New Caledonia is next in Donna's firing line as the vicious storm heads south but it's still not clear if it will bring havoc to our shores.
The Fiji MetService is yet to officially confirm any change in storm category. New Zealand's MetService says the Fijian weather agency is responsible for the cyclone and there is no expectation the storm will be upgraded in the its next update due around 1pm.
As Donna ramps up, forecasters are closely watching its projected path across the Pacific.
While it's expected to weaken as it moves down towards New Zealand both MetService and Weatherwatch.co.nz say it's unlikely there will be a direct hit.
Comment: See also: Maya Blue: Mysterious Color of the Mayan Rain God