Tropical Cyclone Ian is currently a category 1 system sitting just west of Fiji.

It initailly developed on January 2nd near Tonga and has meandered about the Lau Basin ever since.

Over the coming days it's expected to intensify while drifting south-east towards and possibly over Tonga.

TC Ian is only expected to reach category 2 status over the coming days and won't generate any swell for the Australian East Coast as it remains too small in scope and is a very large distance from the mainland.

Tonga on the other hand is expected to see large swell from the north and potentially a follow up swell from the south as the system drifts south in close proximity to the Polynesian island. The southern coasts of Fiji will also see medium to large levels of SE swell through this weekend.

Current long-range forecasts have Ian weakening once is drifts south of Tongan latitudes and then swept swiftly away to the east by a frontal system crossing New Zealand.

There's some indication we may see another tropical depression intensifying in the Vanuatu region in the wake of TC Ian. The swell from these developments would make more of an impact across the Australian region, but we'll keep a close eye on this.

Follow the Tongan West Coast forecast here or click the image below for the WAMs.