Tropical Cyclone Lucas brushed New Caledonia on Tuesday night. At 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday the center of Tropical Cyclone Lucas was located at latitude 22.2°S and longitude 167.0°E which put it about 75 miles (120 km) east-northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia. Lucas was moving toward the south at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 991 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Lucas brought gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of southern New Caledonia on Tuesday night. Lucas weakened before it reached New Caledonia. An upper level trough east of Australia produced strong northwesterly winds that blew toward the top of Tropical Cyclone Lucas. Those winds caused strong vertical wind shear and they blew the tops off of thunderstorms around the center of Lucas. Drier air wrapped around the northern side of the tropical cyclone, which caused some of the outer rainbands to weaken as well. Tropical Cyclone Lucas was the equivalent of a tropical storm when it moved near southern New Caledonia. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of Lucas.

Since many of the stronger thunderstorms in the circulation around Tropical Cyclone Lucas have weakened, the system will be steered by winds lower in the atmosphere. A high pressure system north of New Zealand will steer Lucas slowly toward the west during the next several days. On its anticipated track Tropical Cyclone Lucas will continue to bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of southern New Caledonia for another 24 hours.