
At least five people are dead and entire villages are feared destroyed after the worst tropical cyclone in Fiji's history.

Locals, tourists and aid workers are waking to scenes of utter destruction after a category five cyclone battered the South Pacific nation with wind gusts as strong as 325km/h and waves up to 12m high.

'The scale of the destruction is absolutely massive and it's still far too early to tell just how many people's homes and livelihoods have been devastated by this storm,' Australian Red Cross aid worker Susan Slattery told AAP from Suva.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama confirmed the death toll and declared a 30-day state of emergency, with schools ordered to shut and a nationwide curfew extended until Monday morning.

'When we are able we will provide timelines for the return of water and power,' he said, adding that electricity supply to some areas had been deliberately cut to avert further damage.

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A combination image shows the beachfront villa of tourist Sarah Bingham before (left) and after Cyclone Winston struck at t the Tokoriki Island Resort

Entire villages are feared destroyed in Fiji after cyclone Winston ravaged the Pacific Islands on Saturday evening (pictured is Denarau Island, Fiji)

Trees lay shredded by high winds after Cyclone Winston struck the Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji

Fijian men clear a road of a fallen tree in Fiji's capital Suva after Cyclone Winston swept across Viti Levu Island

A family looks at the remains of their home to search for posessions in Ba, Fiji, on Sunday morning

Aid agencies warned Fiji may be facing a devastating health crisis, mainly due to the lack of electricity.

“We need electricity to ensure pumps are working and for sterilization,” Raijeli Nicole, an official of aid agency Oxfam, said.

Jone Tuiipelehaki, communications officer for the UN's Development Program, tweeted that entire villages have been destroyed

'50 homes have been reported destroyed in Navaga village in Koro Island.'

Scenes of uprooted trees, fallen power lines and flattened homes have been pictured on social media, with fears for those living in remote areas.

Some houses were described as being 'blown away' by local media the Fiji Times.

The bathroom at the back of a family's home was wiped out on Saturday night in the category five tropical cyclone

Residents in Wainunu, Wainibuku, Nausori of central Fiji Badly inspect the damage on Sunday

Fijian soldiers assist with the clean-up on Sunday morning and inspect damage across the country

An elderly man from Nabasov on the island of Koro died after he was crushed as his house collapsed.

He had reportedly scrambled to escape but was unable to reach safety when the roof fell in on him.

Category five is the highest possible cyclone rating, and the government has declared a state of national disaster, ABC reported.

Water and power outages will not be repaired until cyclone Winston passes, the Fijian government said.

The devastating cyclone made landfall late on Saturday and led Fiji's government to impose a nationwide curfew from 6pm, in an effort to restrict movement and improve safety.

Virgin, Jetstar and Fiji Airways have cancelled all flights to and from Fiji on Sunday and are likely to do the same on Monday.

'The scale of the destruction is absolutely massive and it's still far too early to tell just how many people's homes and livelihoods have been devastated by this storm,' Australian Red Cross aid worker Susan Slattery told AAP from Suva

Lautoka City in Namoli, Fiji is pictured flooded on Sunday after Cyclone Winston struck on Saturday evening

Weatherwatch says the storm was the strongest on record to hit Fiji.

NaDraki Weather have reported the cyclone was the 'worst of all of the worst case scenarios one could dream up'.

UNICEF worker Alice Clements - who is staying in Suva - described the beginning of the storm to AAP on Saturday night.

She described a dystopian scene of downed banana trees, howling winds and the 'ominous' sounds of corrugated iron lifting on some of the roofs.

'And it's still very early hours of the storm,' she said at 6pm.

As for visiting holiday making Australians, Ms Clements said they're in for a few awful evenings before they can return home, possibly on Monday, provided the weather improves.

Thousands of Fijians left their homes and headed to evacuation centres in preparation on Saturday.

The Fijian government provided a list of 758 evacuation centres across the nation.

The Spanish Rugby 7s team worked through the day to build a wall out of sandbags on the beach of their resort.

Guests at the Sheraton Hotel in Nadi, Fiji are pictured in the hotel's ballroom after they were evacuated

Buildings and trees are damaged after Cyclone Winston swept through the town of Ba on Fiji's Viti Levu Island on Saturday

Officials were assessing the damage on Sunday after the most powerful cyclone to hit Fiji made landfall on Saturday

'The potential for devastation is high and there is a very real risk that people will lose their lives,' Neville Koop from the Na Draki Weather Service in Suva said, the ABC reported.

Frank Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, released a statement at 2pm on Saturday urging Fijians to 'stick together as a people' as the nation prepared to face 'an ordeal of the most grievous kind.'

'I urge you all, if you haven't already done so, to finalise your own preparations to survive this terrible event. We cannot afford to be complacent,' he wrote.

'I want to assure the nation that the Government is thoroughly prepared to deal with this crisis. Our evacuation centres are fully operational.'

'And if you have any doubts about the ability of your own home to withstand the onslaught, I urge you to seek shelter where you are most likely to be safe and our officials can assist you.

'By now, you should have done all you can to secure your property. Make sure you have adequate food and water, flashlights, candles and lanterns in case the power supply is disrupted and a battery operated radio to keep abreast of news of Cyclone Winston's progress.

Fiji's Taveuni island on Saturday, weathering the category five Winston tropical cyclone

Taveneuni island on Saturday as the cyclone made landfall, the worst in Fiji's history

'Slowly feeling the effects of #TCWinston and trying not to think the worst right now. Prayers to all #Fiji,' a local wrote alongside an Instagram picture on Saturday

Sand bags line the shoreline to keep waves, which reached 12 metres high, from pummelling Fijian villages

Damage to market stalls in Namada Heights, just outside Suva, after Cyclone Winston struck on Saturday

The Warwick beachfront resort at Coral Coast, Viti Levu, Korolevu, Fiji was battered by heavy winds on Saturday

A satellite image released by NASA Goddard Rapid Response shows Cyclone Winston in the South Pacific Ocean

Residents board up windows as they prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Winston on Saturday

People are splashed by a wave whipped up by the encroaching cyclone Winston in Labasa

A tree blocks a road after it was blown down by the cyclone in Nakasi

The cyclone is the worst ever storm of its type to be recorded in the southern hemisphere

Tropical Cyclone Winston is passing through Fiji and heading westwards towards the country's capital, Suva

Thousands of Fijians have left their homes and headed to evacuation centres in preparation for this evening

The category-five cyclone is bringing with it winds of 220km/h and gusts of up to 315km/h

It will be the worst cyclone to have ever hit Fiji and is expected to cause widespread damage

Markets at Nausori have been ordered to close off early by Fijian government but the vendors are refusing to leave

Pictured is the Copra Shed Marina in Savusavu on the south coast of Vanua Levu Island, where many boats have already sunk

Regions including Savusavu, Korovou town and Levuka were reported without power

Just before 5pm on Saturday, the National Disaster Management announced a total public curfew for the entirety of Fiji from 6pm

Photographs flooded social media revealing absolute mayhem in city centres

This photo was taken two hours before high tide in Suvo

Fijians desperately stock up on supplies as government authorities warn homes could be without power

Fijian disaster officials and key stakeholders met at midday on Saturday to discuss how best to prepare for the incoming cyclone

The damage caused by the storm is expected to be extensive

The Primeminister of Fiji asked everyone to prepare for the storm properly

Many Fijians have fled their homes because of the huge storm

'Seek shelter where you are most likely to be safe and our officials can assist you,' the prime minister said

The cyclone has already passed through the island of Lau and is heading west at 25km/h

The Prime Minister of Fiji urged people to seek shelter in one of the many 'fully operational' evacuation centres

Fijian forecasters believe the cyclone could bring total devastation and take lives

Virgin Australia determined flying conditions were unsafe, and have suspended services in and out of the country

The Fijian Prime Minister has warned citizens to not underestimate the strength of the cyclone and stay alert and prepared