London: As deadly Cyclone Harold churns through the South Pacific, small island nations in its path are struggling to balance responses to the disaster with maintaining efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, officials warned on Wednesday.

A destroyed building in Luganville, Vanuatu. Credit:AAP

Cyclone Harold ripped through Vanuatu and Fiji as a deadly top-strength storm this week, causing injuries and damage to property, and severing communications.

Before that, it left 27 people missing and presumed dead in the Solomon Islands after they were swept off a ferry in rough seas.

The storm is now headed toward Tonga and expected to land there on Thursday or Friday, emergency officials said.