Cyclone Sandra threatens New Caledonia
The island nation is on alert as weather conditions begin to deteriorate
In the Coral Sea, Tropical Cyclone Sandra continues it track to the south and is still a threat to New Caledonia.
The country’s nickel mining operations have been put on alert Monday as winds gust to over 200kph could be the biggest threat in the next 24 to 48 hours.
New Caledonia’s top nickel producer, Societe le Nickel (SLN) is preparing to suspend mining operations in the northern part of the main island. It is just one of the companies that is mining in the country that holds the world’s largest deposit of nickel.
Cyclone Sandra is expected to begin weakening from Monday evening. The center of the storm is forecast to pass just west of the island.
Not only will the wind gusts be of concern, but also the flooding rainfall. Over 140mm of rain could be seen over this mountainous terrain in 48 hours. Flash floods, mudslides and power outages are being expected.
After Wednesday, Sandra is expected to weaken even further and become extra tropical before merging with another area of low pressure center that could bring flooding to New Zealand later in the week.
A little further east, the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia is predicting that a disturbance in the Gulf of Carpentaria will be their next tropical cyclone named “Tim”.