Aid is being sent to the Fiji islands which have been hard hit by Cyclone Tomas.

Many villages were completely wiped out by the winds, which peaked over the weekend at 250 kilometres per hour.

Much of the accommodation on Fiji's islands consists of beach type shacks, which were simply ripped through when the cyclonic winds were at their worst.

Phone lines were knocked down and trees snapped like twigs.

The island of Vanua Levu has seen most of the extreme damage.

The Australian Defence Force has sent Hercules aircraft to Suva in southern Fiji with eight tonnes of aid, and local authorities are expected to start delivering it to those in most need.