Tropical Cyclone Solo Targets New Caledonia, Vanuatu to be Impacted

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

April 11,2015; 7:45AM,EDT

 

 

Less than a month after Tropical Cyclone Pam devastated parts of Vanuatu, Tropical Cyclone Solo has formed west of the island nation that is still trying to recover.
The good news for Vanuatu is that Solo will track southward through Sunday, bypassing the country to the south and wet. However, this will bring the storm near New Caledonia during the second half of the weekend.
While the core of Solo will stay to the south and west of Vanuatu, the threat for heavy showers and gusty thunderstorms will be high through Sunday.

Solo has likely reached its peak intensity while to the north of New Caledonia as a strong tropical storm. While nearing the country, some weakening is expiated.
Despite this, the island nation will experience damaging winds and torrential rainfall which will lead to flooding.
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New Caledonia Weather Center
South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Center
Interactive New Caledonia Weather Satellite
The worst of the storm is expected to continue across New Caledonia Sunday, local time. Wind gusts over 85 kph (50 mph) will be common along with rainfall amounts in excess of 100 mm (4 inches). Through Saturday evening, 79 mm (3.11 inches) of rain has been reported in Koumac.
Solo will weaken as it interacts with New Caledonia then continue to weaken as it tracks farther southeast over the open south Pacific Ocean. Interaction with a frontal boundary will continue to weaken Solo until it is absorbed into this front during the first half of next week.