Severe Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin were a pair of intense
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
s that made landfall on the Pacific island nation of
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
within 48 hours of each other in March 2023. They were the fourth and fifth named storms of the
2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
The 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season was a below-average but very destructive tropical cyclone season that featured one of the costliest tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere on record. The season officially started on November 1, 2 ...
respectively, as well as the second and third severe tropical cyclones of the season. By the end of February, Judy had affected the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
, and shortly after, Kevin began to affect the country.
The origins of the tropical cyclones started with Judy forming as a tropical disturbance in the
South Pacific basin southeast of
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (), is a French island territorial collectivity, collectivity in the Oceania, South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga t ...
on 23 February. After continuous development from very warm sea surface temperatures, the system was classified as a tropical depression on the 26th by the
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds of Nadi Airport in Nadi. The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funak ...
, shortly before the agency further upgraded its status to Category 1 the next day and assigned the name Judy to the storm. That same day, a tropical low in the
Australian region formed northeast of
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a coastal town and suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached h ...
. On 28 February, Judy made landfall in
Efate
Efate (), also known as Île Vate (), is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu.
Geography
It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third larg ...
in Vanuatu before rapidly intensifying to a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on 1 March. The tropical low exited the region the same day, and entered the same basin as Judy, becoming marked as a tropical depression. The tropical depression strengthened and attained Category 1 strength and receive the name Kevin. Judy began to weaken from
wind shear
Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
before transitioning to a subtropical cyclone, as Kevin began to also rapidly intensify from the warm waters and
outflow. Kevin moved over
Erromango
Erromango is the fourth largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago. With a land area of , it is the largest island in Tafea Province, the southernmost of Vanuatu's six administrative regions.
Name
The endonym for Erromango in Erromangan is ''Ne ...
and
Tanna Island
Tanna (sometimes misspelled ''Tana'') is an island in southern Vanuatu. Tanna is the most populous island of Tafea Province, and the third most populous in the country (after Efate and Espiritu Santo). It is home to five indigenous languages, w ...
of Vanuatu on 3 March. Kevin became a Category 5 in the FMS scale on 4 March, before Kevin's structure began to rapidly degrade. Kevin underwent the same fate as Judy as it dissipated on 6 March. Kevin continued to degenerate, before its remnants were last marked on 12 March.
The nations were pounded by powerful winds and destructive seas.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
was heavily affected, being struck by both cyclones two days apart. The government asked
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
for aid shortly after Judy's passage. During 3 March, as Kevin was impacting the islands, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit just west of
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...
, and then a magnitude 5.5 earthquake aftershock hit the island shortly after. Nonetheless, no deaths or significant injuries have been reported in connection with either cyclone. Total damages from the two cyclones is estimated to reach 51.2 billion
vatu
The vatu (abbreviation: VT;The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.Current Banknotes and Coins in Circulation" Accessed 2 March 2013. ISO code: VUV) is the currency of Vanuatu. It has no subdivisions.
Etymology
The term ''vatu'', used in all three off ...
(US$433 million).
Meteorological history
Cyclone Judy
On 23 February, the
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds of Nadi Airport in Nadi. The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funak ...
(FMS) reported that Tropical Disturbance 08F had developed about to the southeast of
Halalo
Halalo is a village in Wallis and Futuna. It is located in Mua District on the southwest coast of Wallis Island
Wallis () is a Polynesian atoll/island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity (''collectivité d'outr ...
in
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (), is a French island territorial collectivity, collectivity in the Oceania, South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga t ...
.
At this stage, the disturbance was poorly organised as the systems low-level circulation was fully exposed, while atmospheric convection was building over the circulation's northern and eastern quadrants.
Over the next couple of days, the system slowly moved westwards and gradually consolidated within a marginal environment for
tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
, with very warm
sea surface temperatures
Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
of being offset by moderate to high levels of vertical
wind shear
Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
.
During 26 February, as the disturbance continued to develop, the United States
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
(JTWC) issued a
tropical cyclone formation alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formi ...
(TCFA) on the system, while the FMS reported that 08F had developed into a tropical depression.
At around 1100
VUT (00:00
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
) on 27 February, the JTWC classified the depression as Tropical Cyclone 15P and initiated advisories on it, after they had received a bullseye
ASCAT-B image which showed that winds of up to were occurring in the systems eastern quadrant.
At around the same time, the FMS reported that the system had developed into a
Category 1 tropical cyclone on the
Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale
Tropical cyclones are ranked on one of five tropical cyclone intensity scales, according to their maximum sustained winds and which tropical cyclone basins they are located in. Only a few classifications are used officially by the meteorologi ...
and named it Judy, while it was located about to the southeast of
Fatutaka in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
.
The cyclone then began to consolidate, with deepening central convection as it moved southwestward under the influence of a subtropical ridge to its southeast.

By 09:00 UTC on 28 February, Judy had strengthened into a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). Judy further developed due to high sea surface temperatures of , leading to the FMS to upgrade its status to Category 2 tropical cyclone the same day, before upgrading further to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on 28 February.
Continuing to rapidly intensify, Judy then strengthened into a Category 2-equivalent cyclone. At around 22:00 UTC that same day, Judy made landfall on the island of
Efate
Efate (), also known as Île Vate (), is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu.
Geography
It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third larg ...
in Vanuatu, with 1-minute sustained winds of . On 1 March, the FMS reported that Judy had become a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone. The JTWC followed suit, upgrading the system to a Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone. Judy then reached its peak intensity at 12:00 UTC that same day, with 10-minute sustained winds of , and 1-minute sustained winds of . However, increasing wind shear soon took a toll on the system, and by 2 March, the FMS reported that Judy's winds had bottomed to , becoming a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. At the same time, the JTWC downgraded the system to a Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone.
Turning southeastward, Judy further weakened into a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone, as unfavorable environment that consisted of cooling sea surface temperatures and high wind shear unraveled the storm's central convection. At the same time, the FMS passed the responsibility of warning the system to the New Zealand
MetService
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are ...
, as it left their area of responsibility. At 06:00 UTC the next day, the MetService downgraded Judy to a Category 2 tropical cyclone. Three hours later, the JTWC reclassified Judy as a subtropical system, noting its central convection had been severely sheared to the southeast, partially exposing its low-level circulation center, along with significant erosion of its western peripheries due to an intrusion of a mid-level trough to its southwest. By 4 March, Judy had transitioned to a storm-force extratropical cyclone, with its winds weakening to gale-force 12 hours later. It was last noted as a gale-force low two days later on 6 March, about to the south of
Tubuai
Tupuai ( ) is the main island of the Austral Island group, located south of Tahiti. In addition to Tubuai, the group of islands include Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Rapa and the uninhabited Îles Maria. They are part of the Austral Islands ...
,
French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
, then it dissipated the same time it was last noted as a gale-force low.
Cyclone Kevin
On 27 February, the Australian
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Government of Australia, Australian Government that is responsible for providing Weather forecasting, weather forecasts and Meteorology, meteorological services to Australia a ...
(BoM) reported that Tropical Low 18U had developed within a
monsoonal trough of low pressure about to the northeast of
Cooktown
Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the '' Endeavour'', for ...
in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. At that time, the low had a poorly organised low-level circulation center, however was improving as the environment for tropical cyclogenesis became more favorable, with sea surface temperatures, moderate wind shear, and weak equatorial outflow aloft. Over the next day, the system progressed eastwards while gradually organizing, with its low-level circulation center being displaced to the east of deep convection. During 1 March, the JTWC issued a TCFA on the system, while the BoM passed the responsibility of warning the system to the FMS as it entered the South Pacific basin, designating the system as Tropical Depression 09F.

At 21:00 UTC that same day, 09F strengthened into a Category 1 tropical cyclone in the Australian scale, with the FMS naming it as ''Kevin''. The JTWC subsequently followed suit and initiated advisories on the system. Moving east-southeast under the influence of a subtropical ridge in the same direction, Kevin intensified into a Category 2 tropical cyclone three hours later, as deep convection tightly wrapped its partially exposed low-level circulation center. At 18:00 UTC on 2 March, Kevin intensified into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. The JTWC subsequently upgraded the system into a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone in the Saffir-Simpson scale three hours later, as a large
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or ir ...
(CDO) developed over its low-level circulation center.
Owing to a favorable environment of warm sea surface temperatures, low wind shear and moderate radial outflow, Kevin intensified to a Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone by the next day, before undergoing a phase of
rapid intensification
Rapid intensification (RI) is any process wherein a tropical cyclone strengthens very dramatically in a short period of time. Tropical cyclone forecasting agencies utilize differing thresholds for designating rapid intensification events, th ...
.
[Alt URL]
/ref> At 18:00 UTC that same day, the FMS reported that Kevin further intensified to a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone. The JTWC subsequently upgraded the system to a Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone three hours later, as it moved over Erromango
Erromango is the fourth largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago. With a land area of , it is the largest island in Tafea Province, the southernmost of Vanuatu's six administrative regions.
Name
The endonym for Erromango in Erromangan is ''Ne ...
and Tanna Island
Tanna (sometimes misspelled ''Tana'') is an island in southern Vanuatu. Tanna is the most populous island of Tafea Province, and the third most populous in the country (after Efate and Espiritu Santo). It is home to five indigenous languages, w ...
in Vanuatu, before it cleared up a eye, which made Kevin reach its peak intensity by 4 March. At the same time, the FMS followed suit and upgraded the system to a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone. Kevin then reached its peak intensity at 06:00 UTC that same day according to the FMS, with 10-minute sustained winds of . However, cooling sea surface temperatures and increasing wind shear made the system weaken to a Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone nine hours later, as the storm's structure began to unravel on satellite imagery. By 18:00 UTC that same day, the FMS downgraded Kevin to a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone, with the JTWC subsequently downgrading the system to a Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone, noting the significant deterioration of its convective structure.[Alt URL]
/ref> The FMS passed the responsibility of warning the system to the MetService on 5 March, as it left its area of responsibility while continuing east-southeast.
At the same time, the JTWC further downgraded Kevin to a Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone, as it continued to rapidly weaken. By 06:00 UTC that same day, the MetService reported that Kevin further weakened to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. The JTWC subsequently downgraded the system to a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone, before reclassifying Kevin as a subtropical cyclone and issuing their final advisory nine hours later, as the low-level circulation center became partially exposed due to convection becoming decoupled southeastwards. The MetService further downgraded Kevin to a Category 2 tropical cyclone at 18:00 UTC that same day, before it transitioned into a gale-force extratropical cyclone by 6 March. The remnants of the system continued southeastwards, before weakening below gale-force late on 8 March. Kevin's remnants were last noted in the MetService's bulletins on 11 March, before fully dissipating by the next day as it was absorbed by a warm front.
Effects

Solomon Islands
On 26 February, the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) started to issue special weather bulletins, which warned that Judy was expected to cause gale-force winds, rough seas, moderate to heavy swells and costal flooding over southern parts of Temotu Province within 12 - 24 hours. They also noted that strong winds of , moderate to rough seas, heavy rain and thunderstorms were expected to develop over most provinces, as Kevin's precursor tropical low moved towards the islands of Rennell and Bellona Province
Rennell and Bellona is one of the nine provinces of Solomon Islands, comprising two inhabited raised coral atolls, Rennell Island, Rennell and Bellona Island, Bellona, or and respectively in Rennellese language, Rennellese (a Polynesian languages ...
. After Judy had been named, the SIMS issued a tropical cyclone warning for Temotu Province and a tropical disturbance warning for the rest of the Solomon Islands.
Cyclone Judy impacted the Solomon Islands at the end of February while the system that became Kevin started affecting the nation soon after. Strong winds and damaging waves battered the many islands of the nation for days. Schools and businesses were shuttered across Honiara
Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lies ...
due to the winds. The vessel M/V ''Vatud Star'' ran aground due to a rogue wave. A small boat carrying passengers en route from Honiara
Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lies ...
to Central Province sank due to rough waves, but all of them managed to swim to safety. Tidal waves produced by the storms destroyed 12 homes in West Honiara. Communications with Lata
Latha (Hindi: लता, Kannada: ಲತಾ) is a Hindu Indian female given name, which means "creeper" and "Durga". Latha may refer to:
Notable people named Lata
*Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022), Indian singer.
*Lata Bhatt (born 1954), Indian sin ...
were interrupted.
Vanuatu
Preparations
On 27 February, the Government of Vanuatu
The politics of Vanuatu take place within the framework of a constitutional democracy. The constitution provides for a representative parliamentary system. The head of the Republic is an elected president. The prime minister of Vanuatu is the h ...
issued yellow alerts for Torba, Sanma, Penama
Penama is one of the six provinces of Vanuatu, located in the northeast of the country and consisting of three major islands:
* Ambae Island, Ambae (or Aoba Island, Aoba)
* Maewo
* Pentecost Island, Pentecost
The name Penama is derived from the ...
, and Malampa
Malampa is one of the six provinces of Vanuatu, located in the center of the country. It consists of three main islands: Malakula, Ambrym and Paama, and takes its name from the first syllable of their names. It includes a number of other islands ...
Provinces and blue alerts for Shefa and Tafea
Tafea is the southernmost of the six Provinces of Vanuatu, provinces of Vanuatu. The name is an acronym for the five main islands that make up the province: Tanna, Aneityum, Futuna, Erromango and Aniwa.
History
Unlike the other provinces of V ...
Provinces ahead of Cyclone Judy's arrival. The four provinces under yellow were soon placed under red alerts as the cyclone progressed along a north to south path through the country. The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) opened public shelters in Port Vila
Port Vila ( ; ), or simply Vila (), is the capital of Vanuatu and its largest city. It is on the island of Efate, in Shefa Province.
The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 census. In 2020, the population of Port Vila formed 16.3% of the ...
. The NDMO worked with the Vanuatu Christian Council of Churches to establish shelters at churches in the remainder of Efate
Efate (), also known as Île Vate (), is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu.
Geography
It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third larg ...
and neighboring smaller islands. Local volunteers coordinated with international agencies to warn residents of the storm and provide safety information. Schools and businesses were closed nationwide and Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, formerly operating to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and points in the Oceania, South Pacific. Its main base is ...
cancelled all flights. UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
reported it had response personnel pre-deployed in Vanuatu. The agency had emergency stockpiles in place across the country, including hygiene kits, health kits, tents, and tarpaulins to support more than 20,000 people. Care International
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded i ...
pre-positioned household supplies and building materials in Port Vila and Tanna.
Ahead of Cyclone Kevin's arrival on 3 March, hundreds of residents fled to public shelters.
Impact
The entirety of Vanuatu was impacted one or both of the cyclones in a four-day period. According to DG ECHO, the entire population experienced winds of at least ; approximately 251,000 people or about 80 percent of the population were affected by Category 2–3 winds, of whom 150,000 were affected by Category 3–4 winds. Early assessments indicated the worst damage to be in Malapa, Penama, and Shefa Provinces. The storms severed access to running water in these areas and runoff contamination rendered river waters unsafe for consumption. Extensive power outages occurred, with Port Vila remaining offline through 4 March. Bauerfield International Airport
Bauerfield International Airport () is an airport located in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The airport is relatively small in size, but its runway has the capability and length to accept jets up to the Airbus A330. It served as the hub for Vanuatu's flag ...
sustained damage. Satellite analyses of imagery from the Sentinel-2
Sentinel-2 is an Earth observation mission from the Copernicus Programme that acquires optical imagery at high spatial resolution (10 m to 60 m) over land and coastal waters. The mission's Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B satellites were joined in or ...
by UNOSAT
UNOSAT is the United Nations Satellite Centre. It is hosted at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), with the mission to promote evidence-based decision making for peace, security and resilience using geo-spatial info ...
on 4 March revealed extensive damage in Shefa Province with potential storm surge damage along the west coast of Efate Island. Damaged structures were found on Aniwa Island and Erromango
Erromango is the fourth largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago. With a land area of , it is the largest island in Tafea Province, the southernmost of Vanuatu's six administrative regions.
Name
The endonym for Erromango in Erromangan is ''Ne ...
in Tafea Province.
Cyclone Judy brought hurricane-force winds to Efate on 28 February, and its eye passed directly over the capital city of Port Vila. Erromango and Tanna lost all communications on 1 March, with the latter remaining isolated nearly a week later. Tropical Cyclone Judy has been bringing heavy rain and strong winds, and requiring the evacuation of residents from the capital, Port Vila. Strong winds from Judy tore the roof off the infant ward at the Vanuatu Central Hospital. However, there are no reports of deaths or serious injuries in Port Vila from Cyclone Judy.
As Cyclone Kevin was impacting the nation on 3 March, a 6.5 earthquake struck just west of Espiritu Santo at a depth of . The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VI, indicating strong shaking conditions. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), located on Ford Island, Hawaii, is one of two tsunami warning centers in the United States, covering Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, as well as Puerto Ric ...
indicated no risk of a tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake aftershock struck the island shortly after.
Elsewhere
On 28 February, New Zealand's MetService
Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are ...
noted a risk of strong winds and large waves for New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
as Cyclone Judy passed to the northeast. A pre-cyclone alert was raised for the Loyalty Islands Province on 2 March as Kevin passed to the northeast.
The Tonga Meteorological Service stated that the cyclones would likely remain far enough away to not have much impact; however, a small chance existed for Kevin to affect the kingdom. During the overnight of 4–5 March, Kevin entered Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
's territorial waters in the ʻOtu Muʻomuʻa group of islands near Tele-ki-Tokelau and Tele-ki Tonga. As of 6 March no damage was reported.
Although Kevin remained far to the south and west of Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
on 3–4 March, associated inclement weather stemming from a trough
Trough may refer to:
In science
* Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench
* Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure
* Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave
* Trough level (medicine), the l ...
prompted the issuance of heavy rain warnings for Ba, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Nadroga-Navosa, and Ra provinces. The Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds of Nadi Airport in Nadi. The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funak ...
warned that the southernmost islands could see winds of along with damaging ocean swells. Strong winds felled a royal poinciana tree in Naikabula, Ba Province, destroying a home in the process.
Aftermath
Solomon Islands
A damage assessment was initiated on 9 March in response to the tropical cyclones by the National Disaster Council and the National Disaster Operations Committee in the Solomon Islands. A patrol boat was sent to transport emergency relief supplies for Anuta
Anuta is a small volcanic island in the province of Temotu in the southeastern part of Solomon Islands. It is one of the smallest permanently inhabited Polynesian islands. It is one of the Polynesian Outlier communities in Melanesia.
Geograp ...
and Tikopia
Tikopia is a volcanic island in Temotu Province, in the independent nation of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Although most of Solomon Islands is Melanesian, Tikopia is culturally Polynesian. Its remoteness has enabled much of its c ...
. The National Emergency Operation Center sent their gratitude towards the New Zealand Government for their financial support for the deployment. After completion, it was noted that water sources had high turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and wa ...
and reservoirs in Tikopia were damaged by landslides caused by the tropical cyclones. People relied on coconut water and water tanks provided by the government. In Anuta, cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
and taro
Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...
crops were also damaged by landslides. The New Zealand Government, Australian Government, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, Solomon Islands Red Cross Society, and World Vision Solomon Islands, all provided food and non-food sources to both islands.
Vanuatu
The Government of Vanuatu
The politics of Vanuatu take place within the framework of a constitutional democracy. The constitution provides for a representative parliamentary system. The head of the Republic is an elected president. The prime minister of Vanuatu is the h ...
declared a state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
on 2 March. Shortly after Judy's passage, the Government requested international assistance from Australia and New Zealand. The former pledged to provide water, medical supplies, and damage assessment teams by 6 March. In accordance with the FRANZ agreement the New Zealand High Commission headed coordination with Australia, France, and New Zealand for relief efforts. Within two days, two C-17 Globemaster
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) between the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two previ ...
aircraft reached Port Vila carrying the initial supplies and a 12-person rapid response team. On 5 March, the Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
's HMAS ''Canberra'' set sail from Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia, toward Vanuatu. The ship carried 600 Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...
personnel, three CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and landing craft for deployment. The ship could also serve as a mobile hospital. World Vision Australia
World Vision Australia (WVA) is an ecumenical Christian non-governmental organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. It is a part of the ''World Vision International Partnership'' led by World Vision International. WVA is Australia's largest ov ...
set up a disaster center to distribute supplies in Port Vila. New Zealand, still reeling from the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...
, deployed a C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
aircraft carrying water, temporary shelter kits, and hygiene kits on 4 March. A seven-member team was also sent to assist in response coordination. Furthermore, the Government made a NZ$150,000 cash donation to Vanuatu. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
Prime Minister James Marape
James Marape (born 24 April 1971) is a Papua New Guinean politician who has served as the prime minister of Papua New Guinea since May 2019. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the el ...
offered assistance to Vanuatu on 6 March.
UNICEF sent a 16-member team to Vanuatu to conduct needs assessments and assist in supply distribution by 4 March. They partnered with the Vanuatu Red Cross Society by 4 March to distribute emergency supplies to affected residents. The agency also pledged additional supplies from stockpiles in Fiji. DG ECHO sent their Rapid Response Coordinator to conduct a needs assessment on 6 March.
Digicel
Digicel is a Jamaican-based Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 25 markets worldwide.
Digicel has operated in several countries, including Guyana, Fiji, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Samoa, St. Lucia, Surinam ...
suspended call fees to Vanuatu from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Nauru from 6 to 19 March.
Retirement
As a result of the impacts in Vanuatu, the names ''Judy'' and ''Kevin'' were retired after the season, and they will never be used again for tropical cyclones in this basin. They were replaced by ''Josese'' and ''Kirio'' for future seasons.
See also
* Weather of 2023
* Tropical cyclones in 2023
During 2023, tropical cyclones formed in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. They were named by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of . Throughout the year, a total of 115 sys ...
* Other storms named Judy
* Other storms named Kevin
* Cyclones Eric and Nigel (1985) – two strong tropical cyclones that impacted Vanuatu and Fiji within a week of each other.
* Cyclone Lola (2023) – another cyclone which made landfall in Vanuatu in October 2023.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judy
2023 in the Solomon Islands
2023 in Vanuatu
2023 in New Caledonia
2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
2022–23 Australian region cyclone season
Category 4 South Pacific cyclones
Category 5 South Pacific cyclones
Tropical cyclones in Vanuatu
Tropical cyclones in the Solomon Islands
Tropical cyclones in New Caledonia
Tropical cyclones in Fiji
Tropical cyclones in 2023
February 2023 in Oceania
March 2023 in Oceania