Cyclone Percy bearing down on Tokelau and American Samoa

The fourth tropical storm in a month is bearing down on the Pacific Islands as cyclone Percy follows cyclones Olaf, Meena and Nancy.

Percy is today within 240km of the tiny Pacific island group of Tokelau, with 140km/h winds forecast to batter the area over the next 12 hours.

Olaf swept through the Pacific last week, just days after Nancy and two weeks after Meena which hit at the beginning of February, with the Cook Islands worst hit by Meena and American Samoa by Olaf.

Percy is predicted to move to within 120km of Tokelau's island of Atafu and 80km of Nukunono by 6am tomorrow (0500 Monday NZT), the Fiji Meteorological Service website said.

Nukunono and Atafu could face "destructive storm force" winds, frequent heavy rain and high seas with damaging heavy swells.

Flooding of low-lying coastal areas was expected.

Tokelau is a self-administering territory of New Zealand.

Cyclone Percy was expected to pass close to American Samoa's Swains Island with destructive storm force winds with gusts up to 185km/h predicted in the next 18 hours.

Flooding was also expected for Swains Island.

Samoa itself was only predicted to receive winds gusting up to 40km/h, the Samoa Meteorological Division website said.

- NZPA