Tropical Cyclone Judy brought strong winds and heavy rain to Port Vila, Vanuatu on Tuesday night. At 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday the center of Tropical Cyclone Judy was located at latitude 18.7°S and longitude 168.9°E which put it about 40 miles (65 km) south-southeast of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Judy was moving toward the southeast at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 959 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Judy brought strong winds and heavy rain to Port Vila, Vanuatu on Tuesday night when the core of Judy’s circulation passed just east of Efate. A weather station at Bauer Field airport near Port Vila reported a sustained wind speed of 57 m.p.h. (92 km/h) and a wind gust of 91 m.p.h. (146 km/h). A weather station also reported a pressure of 961 mb.

A small circular eye with a diameter of 8 miles (13 km) was at the center of Tropical Cyclone Judy. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Judy’s circulation. Storms near the center of circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone.

Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Judy’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 145 miles (230 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 12.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 31.2. Tropical Cyclone Judy was very similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Sally when Sally hit South Alabama in 2020.

Tropical Cyclone Judy will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 12 hours. Judy will move over over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough east of Australia. The trough will produce northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Judy’s circulation. The winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere will also blow from the northwest and there will not be enough vertical wind shear to cause Tropical Cyclone Judy to weaken. Judy is likely to intensify during the next 12 hours. Tropical Cyclone Judy will move into a more unfavorable environment later on Wednesday. Judy will start to move over cooler water. The upper level trough east of Australia will move closer to Judy and the upper level winds will get stronger. Tropical Cyclone Judy will start to weaken when it moves over cooler water and the vertical wind shear increases.

The upper level trough east of Australia will steer Tropical Cyclone Judy toward the southeast during the next 48 hours. On its anticipated track Judy will move away from Efate on Wednesday. Tropical Cyclone Judy will continue to cause strong winds and heavy rain in Port Vila and Efate during the next few hours. The weather conditions on Efate will improve when Tropical Cyclone Judy moves farther away. Judy will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Erromango, Tanna and Aneityum during the next 12 to 24 hours. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.