Powerful tropical cyclone Daman hit the small islands on Fiji on Friday, with wind gusts up to 154 mph. It missed the populated areas of Fiji, according to officials.

Fiji Disaster Management Office director Joeli Rokovabe said it could be one of the “severest cyclones to hit the country in recent times,” CNN News informs.

Early Saturday cyclone Daman remained a storm of Category 4.

According to forecaster Alipate Waqaicelua, it missed two larger islands of Fiji.

The storm triggered a hurricane warning for some of the largest islands of Fiji, like rely Cikobia and northeastern Vanua Levu

Waqaicelua said: "While the cyclone is weakening (slowly) it's still packing a very strong punch," the Associated Press informs.

According to him, Cikobia, with a population of 100 people, was the hardest hit. People there rely mostly on Fishing and farming.

Officials lost contact with the small northern island when it was hit by the gusts of winds of 154 mph.

Jioji Satakala, disaster office spokesman, said that heavy rains had fallen. People from main villages took shelter in reinforced houses just when contact was lost.

Residents from the Lomaiviti island group and Vanua Levu island, second main island of Fiji, were warned to move from the coastal region and escaped serious damage.

Satakala said that no injuries were reported.

Daman hit the Labasa area of northern Vanua Levu triggering landslides that closed some highways, flooded hit low-lying areas, according to disaster office spokesman Pajiliai Dobui. Also gusting winds destroyed trees.

Waqaicelua said that cyclone remained of Category 4, but didn’t hit Vanua Levu because it changed course.

Later Saturday it appeared that the cyclone was heading towards open water, 25 miles northeast of Lau islands group, located in the north of Fiji.

Waqaicelua said: "I hope it stays on that track."

A storm of Category 4 can cause severe damage to small structures and push water up to 6 miles inland.

Fiji has been hit by 13 tropical cyclones in the last ten years. The worst one was the one in 2003 when the lower-intensity Cyclone Ami killed 17 people when it hit the Labasa region of Vanua Levu.

In 1973 Cyclone Lottie sank two ships off western Fiji, killing 70 people, the biggest death toll of the country.