At least one person has been killed and thousands have been evacuated as a cyclone has hit French Polynesia, according to Euronews television channel.

Weather men said Cyclone Oli that struck late on Wednesday was the worst to have hit Polynesia over the past five years.

Local authorities advised residents on Friday to stay indoors as winds of up to 200km per hour raged in the archipelago, including the popular holiday island of Tahiti.

Though a red alert has now been called off, schools, roads, airports and harbors remain closed and travel is banned on several islands, except for emergency services, the TV channel said.

A spokesperson for the Tahiti tourist board told mail.online that none of more than 650 tourists currently visiting had been injured.

MOSCOW, February 6 (RIA Novosti)