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February 4, 2021 - Tropical Cyclone Lucas
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Tropical Cyclone Lucas whipped up winds and rain in New Caledonia in early February 2021. On February 2, the storm passed over Lifou Island, largest island in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia with maximum sustained winds of approximately 60 mph (96.5 km/h). Early assessments state that the tropical storm force winds damaged some houses and caused loss of power and phone services.
After leaving Lifou, Lucas took aim at Grande Terre, the largest island in New Caledonia. Tropical Cyclone Lucas clipped the southern tip of the island on February 3 carrying maximum sustained winds of about 74 km/h (46 mph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JWTC) issued its final advisory on the system at 0300 UTC February 3 (10:00 p.m. EST on February 2). At that time, Lucas was still 65.6 miles (105 km) east-northeast of Noumea, Grande Terre Island, New Caledonia and was quickly becoming extratropical. It is forecast to dissipate in the Coral Sea but will be closely monitored for regeneration.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Lucas on February 3 as it passed over the southern end of Grande Terre. Although the storm still maintained circulation, it had lost symmetry and the center was poorly formed—all signs of a weak cyclone battered by wind shear.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/3/2021
Resolutions:
1km (516.8 KB), 500m (1.7 MB), 250m (4.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Lucas whipped up winds and rain in New Caledonia in early February 2021. On February 2, the storm passed over Lifou Island, largest island in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia with maximum sustained winds of approximately 60 mph (96.5 km/h). Early assessments state that the tropical storm force winds damaged some houses and caused loss of power and phone services.
After leaving Lifou, Lucas took aim at Grande Terre, the largest island in New Caledonia. Tropical Cyclone Lucas clipped the southern tip of the island on February 3 carrying maximum sustained winds of about 74 km/h (46 mph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JWTC) issued its final advisory on the system at 0300 UTC February 3 (10:00 p.m. EST on February 2). At that time, Lucas was still 65.6 miles (105 km) east-northeast of Noumea, Grande Terre Island, New Caledonia and was quickly becoming extratropical. It is forecast to dissipate in the Coral Sea but will be closely monitored for regeneration.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Lucas on February 3 as it passed over the southern end of Grande Terre. Although the storm still maintained circulation, it had lost symmetry and the center was poorly formed—all signs of a weak cyclone battered by wind shear.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/3/2021
Resolutions:
1km (516.8 KB), 500m (1.7 MB), 250m (4.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
