KEY POINTS:

• Winds of up to 195km/h hit Tonga overnight and the country remains in the eye of the cyclone
• Unconfirmed reports of one fatality and a number of injuries
• Could hit Fiji by this afternoon or evening.
• Read more: Gita - what you need to know
• Read more: Cyclone Gita - what does it mean for NZ's weather?
• Cyclone described as the strongest to hit Tonga in its history.
• Some estimates that 75% of homes in capital Nukuʻalofa destroyed.
• Fresh water and power supplies are out in many areas.
• New Zealand Defence Force planes and emergency response teams are on standby
• If you're a Kiwi in Tonga and require consular assistance contact the NZ High Commission on +676 23122, +676 881 7022 (after hours) or [email protected]

The extent of the destruction in Tonga caused by Cyclone Gita is starting to emerge.

The storm tore through the country overnight, injuring people and destroying buildings. Tonga's parliament house is one of the buildings destroyed.

A spokesman for Tonga's Emergency Management office told Newshub they have reports of one death, but it cannot yet be confirmed because communications are down.

Graham Kenna, from Tonga's National Emergency Office, told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking he had just been for a drive around the CBD and there was an extreme amount of damage.

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There had been a number of injuries already, and they had rushed in a woman in labour.

He said it was still a bit dangerous - winds were quite high and tin blown from buildings was flying around.

Kenna expected power would be out for a number of days and that many people's water tanks would have been damaged.

He told Radio New Zealand that one of the catholic churches was completely gone and others were damaged.

"We've had hundreds of calls during the night for assistance required for trees down on houses and people trapped in houses," he said.

"I've had phone calls through the night from people who were trapped and wanted help that we just weren't able to offer. We couldn't put lives at stake to go out in such atrocious weather."

Damage in Tonga after Cyclone Gita hit overnight. Photo / Tonga Now Facebook

Kenna told RNZ that staff from the National Emergency Management Office would head out to help people and assess the damage as soon as it was safe.

"We'll start in the city and then we'll fan out into the countryside and get a full grasp by mid afternoon on what the needs are going to be."

New Zealander Joanna Bourke, who lives there, said she was "fearing the worst".

She told Newstalk ZB Early Edition host Kate Hawkesby that the night was "horrible" as the cyclone "roared".

Tonga had been hit really badly, she says, although she would have to assess damage to her own home after dawn.

She had looked outside with the use of a torch and "it didn't look good", with pieces of wood everywhere, coconut fronds and fallen trees.

Bourke described herself as a tough cookie, but conceded that when the cyclone was roaring through, she was scared.

Destruction after Cyclone Gita hit Tonga. Phto / Tonga Now Facebook