 During 4 January, Rewa moved back into the South Pacific basin and continued eastward as a weakening category 3 severe tropical cyclone, with TCWC Nadi estimating the 10-minute sustained windspeeds at 150 km / h (90 mph). During the next day, its eye became obscured after the mountains of New Caledonia affected Rewa's circulation by creating a hot and dry Foehn wind. TCWC Nadi reported that the system had weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone, while the JTWC reported that Rewa had become a tropical storm. The system subsequently made landfall in the vicinity of Saint Vincent Bay on New Caledonia's south-western coast, before it emerged near Thio from the east coast during 6 January. By 7 January, Rewa's circulation had become exposed under the influence of upper level north-westerlies; as a result both the JTWC and TCWC Nadi reported that Rewa had weakened into a depression. Over the next 3 days, the residual low-level circulation was steered towards the northwest and Papua New Guinea in a southeasterly trade wind flow generated by a powerful area of high pressure located between New Zealand and Kermadec Islands. During 10 January, Rewa's remnants moved out of the South Pacific basin and back into the Australian region while starting to re-intensify into a tropical cyclone, as a mid to upper level trough over eastern Australia increased in size.
