At 12 pm today, a tropical cyclone formed in the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) – Nadi’s area of responsibility (AoR) near the Solomon Islands and named Tropical Cyclone (TC) Judy (category 1).

TC Judy is moving southwest at about 35 kilometers per hour and is currently located about 35 kilometers to the southeast of Fatutaka in the Solomon Islands or about 725km west-northwest of Rotuma.

TC Judy is fast-moving and is expected to track over the small islands in the southern part of Solomon Islands is a category 1 system today and approach the northern parts of Vanuatu around midday tomorrow (28 February 2023) as a category 2 cyclone.

The cyclone is expected to track very close or over Vanuatu as a category 2 system around midday tomorrow and could even intensify into a category 3 system as it passes over Villa around midday on Wednesday (01 February 2023).

Damaging to very destructive winds and heavy rain is expected to affect Vanuatu in the next few days as the system moves close by or over the islands.

TC Judy poses no direct threat to the Fiji Group.

However, there’s a north-easterly wind flow that prevails over Fiji and is expected to bring some showers and thunderstorms over parts of the group, especially over the Northern Division, greater Nadi area, Ba-Lautoka area, Interior Ba and Tavua-Vatukoula, Navua-LamiSuva-Nausori-Tailevu area, Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, Lau and Lomaiviti group.

The rest of the country is likely to experience afternoon or evening showers and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) – Nadi is also monitoring another low-pressure system that is expected to develop over the Coral Sea and enter our region later this week. The associated convergence zone is expected to approach and affect Vanuatu as early as Thursday.

This system is expected to track to the southwest of Fiji and could potentially bring rain over the group and damaging heavy swells in the southwestern coastal areas of Viti Levu later this week.

The region is quite active at this time of the tropical cyclone season in terms of tropical cyclone development.

Therefore, members of the community are reminded to stay prepared and remain vigilant.
Current warnings;

A Strong Wind Warning remains in force for the land areas of Macuata, Cakaudrove and Northern Bua Province, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group, Kadavu, Nadi and Ba-Lautoka Area and is NOW CANCELLED over Lau and Lomaiviti Groups.

A Strong Wind Warning remains in force for all Fiji Waters