Photo: RNZ / Shaun O'Callaghan

Nearly 200 people around Efate, the main island in Vanuatu, have been moved to evacuation centres because of flooding caused by Cyclone Cook.

The category two cyclone has brought widespread and strong winds to Vanuatu over the past 24 hours.

Peter Korisa at the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office in Port Vila says they have not been able to restore communications with the outer islands but he says there is extensive flooding on Efate.

He says they have moved close to 200 people into evacuation shelters because their houses were in flood prone areas.

Mr Korisa says these numbers will rise if the rain continues.

Cyclone Cook, which is expected to intensify, is now moving towards New Caledonia.

Current projections have it hitting New Caledonia directly on Monday afternoon. </s> Cyclone Cook formed early Sunday morning near Vanuatu and has since rapidly intensified into a powerful category 3 storm as it nears central New Caledonia. The storm, with sustained winds up to 157 km/h, will likely make landfall in central or southern New Caledonia tonight, leading to possible destruction of buildings, flooding due to very heavy rainfall and storm surge, and the possibility of landslides.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Scoop. </s> Tropical Cyclone Cook: New Caledonia braces itself as severe system hits east coast

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People in northern parts of New Caledonia have been told to stay indoors as severe Tropical Cyclone Cook buffets the French territory.

Key points: Cook has intensified to category 3 cyclone

Expected to pass 50 kilometres southwest of capital Noumea

Wind gusts of 200 kilometres per hour predicted

The category-three cyclone hit the main island Grand Terre at almost the same time as high tide, packing winds of up to 200 kilometres per hour.

The gales brought down coconut trees, blocking roads and forcing residents to seek shelter indoors.

Floods and waves as tall as 10 metres were also forecast by weather authorities.

"The threat to New Caledonia is very serious," the meteorological service said in a cyclone alert that will be extended to cover the southern province this evening.

The Directorate of Civil Security and Risk Management has issued a level-two cyclone alert for the northern province requiring people to remain inside their homes or emergency shelters.

In the capital Noumea, Pacific Community deputy director-general Cameron Diver said most people went home from work before midday to prepare for Cook's arrival.

"I think people are taking it with a lot of calm, nobody's panicking. It's one of those cases where you prepare for the worst and hope for the best," he said.

Nickel group Societe Le Nickel, a subsidiary of French conglomerate Eramet, had suspended mining at its five locations in New Caledonia, though smelting operations continued at a reduced level in Noumea.

New Caledonia has not experienced a direct hit since Cyclone Erica in 2003.

But Mr Diver said recent disasters elsewhere in the region meant people were taking the warnings seriously.

"People are very much aware of what's gone on in other Pacific islands, Vanuatu with Cyclone Pam and Fiji with Cyclone Winston, so they're taking the precautions that are necessary," he said.

Cyclone Cook hit Vanuatu yesterday but authorities reported no major damage.

Meteo France expects Severe Tropical Cyclone Cook to cross the centre of Grand Terre overnight and pass 50 kilometres to the south-west of Noumea.

Topics: cyclones, cyclone, new-caledonia, pacific </s> SYDNEY, April 10 (Reuters) - New Caledonia was bracing for high winds, massive waves, and heavy rain as a powerful cyclone bore down on the French South Pacific territory on Monday.

Cyclone Cook had already swept through Vanuatu as a Category one storm over the weekend, causing flooding.

The storm was forecast to strengthen to a destructive Category four, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level, before it makes landfall in New Caledonia on Monday afternoon local time, Fiji's Meteorological Service predicted.

The storm was expected to hit the main island's north almost at the same time as high tide, with winds of up to 200 km per hour (124 miles per hour). Flooding rain and waves as tall as 10 metres (33 feet) have been forecast by New Caledonian authorities.

"The threat to New Caledonia is very serious," the territory's meteorological service said in a cyclone alert bulletin on Monday.

Flights from the main airport at Noumea will be cancelled on Monday evening, a spokeswoman said in a telephone interview.

In Vanuatu, where Cyclone Cook had already passed through, no injuries were reported and the storm did little damage to property, but low-lying areas were evacuated as floodwaters rose, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

Cyclone Cook was intensifying as the threat from Cyclone Debbie, which struck Australia and New Zealand, dissipated. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) </s> SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Caledonia was bracing for high winds, massive waves, and heavy rain as a powerful cyclone bore down on the French South Pacific territory on Monday.

Cyclone Cook had already swept through Vanuatu as a Category one storm over the weekend, causing flooding.

The storm was forecast to strengthen to a destructive Category four, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level, before it makes landfall in New Caledonia on Monday afternoon local time, Fiji's Meteorological Service predicted.

The storm was expected to hit the main island's north almost at the same time as high tide, with winds of up to 200 km per hour (124 miles per hour). Flooding rain and waves as tall as 10 meters (33 feet) have been forecast by New Caledonian authorities.

"The threat to New Caledonia is very serious," the territory's meteorological service said in a cyclone alert bulletin on Monday.

Flights from the main airport at Noumea will be canceled on Monday evening, a spokeswoman said in a telephone interview.

In Vanuatu, where Cyclone Cook had already passed through, no injuries were reported and the storm did little damage to property, but low-lying areas were evacuated as floodwaters rose, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

Cyclone Cook was intensifying as the threat from Cyclone Debbie, which struck Australia and New Zealand, dissipated.[nL3N1HE5EP] </s> A powerful cyclone that hit New Caledonia late on Monday has moved offshore, allowing authorities to lift warnings on the French South Pacific territory.

Four people received minor injuries in the storm and a search is being conducted for missing people, New Caledonia's Civil Defence and Risk Management agency said in a statement. According to Radio NZ, a 73-year-old has been found dead.

Resident Gael Toukio said electricity and telephone services had been cut as Cyclone Cook came ashore.

1NEWS Cyclone Cook is now expected to pass near New Zealand, bringing further rain and wind on Friday.

"Every gust of wind made my house tremble," Toukio said by text message from the capital city of Noumea.

The main island was hit by winds of up to 180kmh and more than 400mm of rain on Monday, the meteorological service said in a statement.

At least 4 injured as Tropical Cyclone Cook makes landfall on the main island of New Caledonia. https://t.co/pvLxG1lc8b pic.twitter.com/fLqY5moKIL — The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) April 10, 2017

READ MORE:

* Getting ready for Cook

​*Tropical Cyclone Cook set to hit Pacific Islands, NZ could be next

* Cyclone Cook set to hammer Pacific, could bring further floods to NZ

Roads were blocked by uprooted coconut trees and conditions brought a halt to the country's large nickel mining industry.

The bureau lifted a general warning on Tuesday, while the Civil Defence agency said around 70,000 people were without electricity.

Vale suspended nickel operations and evacuated staff on Monday. It is restarting on Tuesday, a spokesman said.

The New Caledonia weather bureau said the weather system - which peaked at a category-three event - has since weakened.

TVNZ reported that a New Zealander was stranded in New Caledonia after an Air New Zealand flight was cancelled.

An Air Calin flight from Noumea due to arrive in Auckland at 12.35pm on Tuesday and the return flight, due to depart at 2.30pm, werecancelled.

Cook hit the main island at almost the same time as high tide, with floods, and waves as tall as 10 metres forecast by weather authorities.

"The threat to New Caledonia is very serious," the meteorological service said in a cyclone alert.

#cycloneCook Alerte 2 sur l'ensemble de la Nouvelle Calédonie. Interdiction absolue de circuler à pied ou en voiture. pic.twitter.com/RSSV8VHGK0 — NC 1ère (@nc1ere) April 10, 2017

The storm hit land late on Monday afternoon as a Category Three storm, said Virgil Cavarero, a forecaster at Meteo New Caledonia, below the destructive Category 4 predicted earlier, which would have been a level off the most dangerous wind speed.

Eyes now turn to New Zealand as the tracking system could bring heavy rain, high surf and gusty winds later in the week, along with renewed flooding concerns following the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie last week.

The North Island's flood-stricken regions were bracing for heavy rain thanks to a low from the Tasman Sea, and the tropical cyclone could make matters worse.

MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said Tropical Cyclone Cook could affect New Zealand later in the week adding to the low that will move across the country from Tuesday.

Cook developed into a tropical cyclone while crossing the islands of southern Vanuatu on Saturday.

#CycloneCook has made landfall to over the New Caledonia in the South Pacific with 100mph as a cat 2 hurricane pic.twitter.com/BJaEZKzMoj — Joint Cyclone Center (@JointCyclone) April 10, 2017

- Audio thanks to Radio New Zealand </s> Vanuatu faces yet another destructive storm, after the previous devastation brought about by Cyclone Pam. — Reuters picWELLINGTON, May 6 — The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu began assessing the damage today after being pounded by destructive winds from Cyclone Donna which brought down houses and buildings.

The storm was upgraded late in the day to a category four severe tropical cyclone by the Vanuatu Meteorological Service which warned “damaging gale to destructive storm force winds” would continue to hit Torba province.

The eye of the cyclone veered away from Vanuatu before making landfall but Disaster Management Office director Shadrack Welegtabit said winds in excess of 200 kilometres per hour wreaked havoc in outlying islands.

“The cyclone has passed through and we have now started our response, doing an assessment of the damage and what people need,” he told AFP.

“It did not make landfall but the gale force winds affected some islands. There was damage to houses and buildings but we haven’t had any reports of injuries.”

A curfew was imposed in many of the populated islands on Friday with residents taking shelter in caves and evacuation centres until the storm passed.

Corrine Ambler from the Red Cross told Radio New Zealand they had made radio contact with Torres Islands in Torba where houses were destroyed.

“There’s about 1,000 in the affected area and I understand that almost 200 people are taking shelter in a cave in one of the islands,” she said.

Although Donna was tracking westwards towards New Caledonia said, the Meteorological Service said it would continue to impact on Vanuatu for another 24 hours.

“Heavy rainfall and flash flooding is also expected,” it said in an advisory to the small nation of about 260,000 people.

In 2015, when Cyclone Pam slammed into Vanuatu, 11 people were killed and more than 65,000 homes were damaged or destroyed affecting about 70 per cent of the population. — AFP </s> French media reports at least four injured and 20,000 residences without power in the wake of Cyclone Cook making landfall in New Caledonia. Cyclonic winds and heavy rain buffeted the French island territory in the South Pacific on Monday, prompting residents to seek shelter and halt mining of nickel, its most important export.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Manawatu Evening Standard. </s> Cyclone Cook is expected to make landfall in New Caledonia on Monday night as a Category 3 cyclone.

The Sécurité Civile is issuing advice on local media. The whole of New Caledonia is on “pre-alert”, as at 11pm 8 April 2017 local time.

We advise New Zealanders in New Caledonia to follow the advice of the local authorities at all times (including any evacuation orders) and seek suitable shelter. Visitors and tourists staying in travel accommodation should follow the guidance of hotel/resort management. It is generally considered sensible practice not to venture outdoors during a cyclone and remain well away from the sea and rivers. We recommend you stay informed of developments by monitoring local news and weather reports.

Please also ensure you keep your family and friends in New Zealand informed of your safety and well-being, including after the cyclone has passed.

New Zealanders in New Caledonia requiring emergency assistance should contact the local emergency services on the following numbers:

If you require consular assistance, please contact the New Zealand Consulate General on: +687 27 25 43 (office hours) or +687 79 19 22 (after hours).
Dozens of people in Vanuatu are in shelters as Cyclone Cook hits the island. It is due to pass through New Caledonia tomorrow.