Super Cyclone Olaf

American Samoa is bracing itself for what could be a direct hit from Super-Cyclone Olaf.

It has spared neighbouring Samoa but intensified into a category five storm, packing winds of up to 250 kph.

Meteorologists say it could hit the tiny US island territory by Thursday local time.

Nearby, a second and smaller cyclone, Nancy, skirted most of the Cook Islands as it weakened.

Gale-force winds and massive waves have lashed all three island nations.

Samoa's prime minister declared a state of emergency as his country was shut down.

But Samoa appeared to get off the hook as Olaf failed to reach landfall in the morning as had been forecast.

The cyclone did seem to be swerving away from the islands of Savai'i and 'Upolo.

Meteorologists said its centre was now heading east, towards American Samoa.

Meanwhile, the southern Cook Islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki suffered minor damage and some people were evacuated as a rapidly weakening Cyclone Nancy swept past.
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New Zealand's MetService said Nancy was now a spent force.

But Olaf had strengthened to a category five super-cyclone capable of inflicting severe damage.

"American Samoa ... could be in the firing line for the most intense part of the cyclone," lead forecaster Oliver Druce said.

"It's about as big as a cyclone can get," he said.

"It only takes 30km between a direct hit and a miss so it's all sort of touch and go."

Even before the storm hit, American Samoa Governor Togiolo Tulafano asked US President George W Bush to declare the territory a disaster zone.

"We are anticipating extensive infrastructure damage and limited communications capability in the aftermath of this category five storm," Tulafano said in a statement to Bush.

MetService said the cyclone could reach the US territory by morning.

Airports were closed and schools and offices shut in Samoa as the country experienced gale-force winds and surging seas from Olaf.

"All the tourists that were spread around the island that were staying in the beach fales (bungalows), everybody's been evacuated," mostly to Apia, said Asofa Tapu of the Travellers Lounge in the Samoan capital.

Cyclone Nancy, with winds of up to 150 kph, blew off roofs and flattened trees across the southern Cook Islands - but resort operators said its impact wasn't as severe as last week's Cyclone Meena.

A bridge was destroyed at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, whose 40 mostly Australian guests had been evacuated to a sister resort on Rarotonga as a precaution.

"I imagine by tomorrow we'd have cleared everything up and you wouldn't know there's been a hurricane," managing director Tata Crocombe said.

"We actually had one (Australian) couple married the day before the hurricane and they're still in a very happy, cheerful state today, so there was no risk to life and limb."

A Tasmanian staying at an another Aitutaki resort said he and other guests remained on the island overnight on the advice of the manager.

"We stayed in our little bungalow last night. Everything was fine - a bit windy but that's all," Grantly Hamilton said.