Scores of people are feared dead after Cyclone Pam struck the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific.

UN agencies say the Category 5 Storm may be the worst weather disaster in the region's history.

The Category Five storm struck the South Pacific archipelago with winds of up to 250 km/h, threatening more than 267,000 residents.

Eight people have been confirmed dead so far - but with communications badly affected, this figure is expected to rise.

Eoghan Rice is Communications Officer with Irish aid agency Trócaire, which is supporting relief efforts in the region:

The storm blew roofs off houses, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Officials in the capital Port Vila say there is no power or running water.

Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer, said: "It's still really quite dangerous outside. Most people are still hunkering down.

"The damage is quite extensive in Port Vila but there are so many more vulnerable islands."

Vanuatu is about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii. About 47,000 people live in the capital. Most of those left their homes for the safety of shelters.

Save the Children's Vanuatu Country Director Tom Skirrow added: "The scene here this morning is complete devastation.

"Communications are down across much of the country with the total extent of the devastation unlikely to be known for several days."

Australia is preparing to send a crisis response team to Vanuatu if needed, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

New Zealand donated a million NZ dollars and Save The Children launched an appeal for youngsters affected by the storm.

The cyclone had already destroyed some homes and caused damage to other Pacific islands including the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, 4,000km away from Vanuatu.