SUVA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A red alert, the highest level of warning, has been issued for most parts of Vanuatu as the Pacific island nation has been experiencing the wrath of tropical cyclone Judy since Tuesday.

Tropical cyclone Judy was upgraded to a category 4 storm on Wednesday afternoon with its destructive hurricane-force winds damaging homes, uprooting trees and causing power cuts in Vanuatu, according to Radio New Zealand.

Judy hit the country with winds of up to 230 km per hour. The weather has become quite dramatic and will deteriorate with damaging gale force winds and flooding.

Vanuatu Emergency Management spokesperson Brenda Williams said that residents are being advised to stay home, and police are assisting with evacuations.

The National Disaster Management Office has identified evacuation centers in the capital city of Port Vila, while in other parts of Efate and the offshore islands, church buildings are considered to function as evacuation centers.

The tropical cyclone season in the South Pacific region, which typically runs from November to April, can cause widespread rainfall and flooding in the cyclone-hit island countries.

In March 2015, category-five tropical cyclone Pam caused widespread damage and claimed 24 lives in Vanuatu, which has a population of more than 320,000. Enditem

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