The Samoa Meteorology Division said Cyclone Heta would be about 500 kilometres (315 miles) north-west of Savai'i, Samoas largest island, by 1:00 pm Friday (0200 GMT Saturday).

Flights to American Samoa were cancelled, worsening a backlog of passengers which Polynesian Airlines had been trying to clear.

The approach of Heta also resulted in the postponement of a rare horse-racing meeting in Samoa.

Heta is the first cyclone of the 2003-2004 season and is the first to threaten Samoa in nearly a decade.

Cyclones Ofa in 1990 and Val in 1991 were the last major storms to hit the country and nearly bankrupted its economy.

Ofa caused losses of more than 440 million US dollars, and in the environmental conditions that followed a blight devastated the national taro crop.

Savaii was badly hit by both cyclones.

TERRA.WIRE