Hello and welcome back to the extreme weather blog, and welcome to March! We ended February talking about Tropical Cyclone Freddy and a SoCal blizzard. Typically I try and pick several places to discuss, but today I just want to focus on the extreme weather that hit Vanuatu this week, because it was unprecedented.
Before I get too far into their wild weather, I just wanted to talk a bit about Vanuatu for those who are not familiar. Vanuatu is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific between Fiji and Australia. It is comprised of about 80 islands, but it is still one of the smallest countries in the world with its total square mileage being just slightly larger than Qatar.
Three days of natural disasters
This island country is no stranger to tropical cyclones, but having TWO within one week is extreme. This video below is from March 1 when Tropical Cyclone Judy made landfall in Vanuatu. Winds were recorded up to 115 mph along with heavy rainfall and flash flooding. There were also incredibly rough seas, which is a problem for a nation comprised of islands. Communication was lost between some islands due to the strong winds.
Vanuatu is located along the “ring of fire” in the Pacific, which is a large group of fault lines that often trigger volcanoes and earthquakes. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu on March 2, one day after Tropical Cyclone Judy made landfall. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake is considered a strong earthquake and can cause major damage and trigger tsunamis. Thankfully there were no tsunami warnings after the quake.
Just two days after Tropical Cyclone Judy made landfall, and one day after the earthquake, Tropical Cyclone Kevin is bringing more hurricane force winds to the nation. Storm surge will be impacting many islands on their western side. Australia and New Zealand have already offered to help in aid.
Something good
It’s March, which means bluebonnet season is almost upon us! We have already seen bluebonnets starting to pop up along I-10 and 290 and they will be more prevalent as the weeks continue. This year we are seeing the bluebonnets a bit early due to the unseasonably warm winter we had. Enjoy this photo of my mom’s three-month-old border collie puppy June in the bluebonnets!
We’d love to see your best bluebonnet pics! Share them on Click2Pins.com. We have a bluebonnets section under the events category!
Stay safe always,
Caroline