By 3 News online staff/Cleo Fraser
It's being reported that two children have died in a powerful cyclone that has slammed into Samoa.
The children are believed to have drowned near the low lying Apia Park.
Some homes have been damaged in southern areas and winds up to 112km/h are battering the country's capital Apia, while other areas are experiencing winds up to 144km/h on Thursday afternoon.
The country has been hit with heavy rainfall over the past two days.
Samoa's Meteorology Division forecaster Mulipola Titimaea says the centre of slow-moving Tropical Cyclone Evan is now centred over Samoa where it will likely remain until at least Thursday evening.
"It could be short lived or with other conditions it can expand but at the moment it remains a `midget size' cyclone," he told NZ Newswire.
"There are storm warnings across most of Samoa and we are on hurricane watch at the moment."
Mr Titimaea says a number of homes have been damaged in southern areas but the extent of the damage is not yet known.
Depending on conditions, the cyclone is expected to move south or southwest on Friday evening towards Fiji or possibly Niue.
Mr Titimaea says Samoa's disaster advisory committee has met to discuss the potential impact of the cyclone.
NZN