Tropical Cyclone Lola has strengthened to a category 5 super cyclone, the Fiji Meteorological Service says.

A category 5 cyclone means average winds will surpass 198km/h.

Residents on Vanuatu's north-eastern islands were feeling the beginnings of the severe cyclone on Tuesday morning.

Fiji Metservice says parts of Vanuatu will be feeling gale force winds between 63-84 km/h.

Meteorologist Samisoni Waqavakatoga says strong force winds between 89 to 117 km/h will be felt about over Banks Islands about 6pm Tuesday local time.

Waqavakatoga says the eye of Lola is expected to be over Santo Island in the next 24 hours.

"There will be destruction to livelihoods as well as structures, low lying areas could get inundated with (sea) surges, people living in the low-lying areas are the most vulnerable."

He says waves at sea are forecast to reach 10 metres and 100mm of rain is forecast over the next 24 hours.

Waqavakatoga says the cyclone's impact should clear by Thursday night.

Vanuatu Red Cross representative on Santo island Shirley Johnson told Morning Report at 5.30am local time Santo is, so far, only experiencing some strong winds but says "it takes time for the strong winds to come in".

On Monday, 20 to 30 people from flood prone areas were evacuated, she says.

People in the Banks Islands group in Torba Province and Penama Province are already experiencing very strong wind on Monday, she says.

"They also evacuated people to the evacuation centre just to make sure they're safe.

"This morning I was not able to reach them, I will try to reach them to hear what the situation is because yesterday already they called and they said they were already experiencing very, very strong winds and also they have heavy rain."

The National Disaster Management Office convened an inter-agency briefing to plan the emergency response.

-RNZ.