Severe tropical storm jasmine. Image courtesy rsmc nadi
Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasmine is currently brushing the island territory of New Caledonia, a French collectivity 1500km East of Bundaberg, Australia. The storm follows hot on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Cyril.
Jasmine is moving East-SouthEast at a rate of around 14 knots and winds nears the centre are estimated at about 90 knots, according to the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in Nadi. The storm has been located at 18.5S, 164.5E at 06:00 UTC on 7th February 2012. It is expected to continue moving in an ESE direction and to weaken over the next 36 hours with winds at the centre lowering to 65 knots by 9th February 2012.
The Fiji Meteorological Service estimates that there is a low probability of a new cyclone forming in the region but warns of flooding in low lying areas over the next 24 hours.
In This Story: Australia
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country by total area.
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited—and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The most outlying island is Ono-i-Lau. 87% of the total population of 883,483 live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Humans have lived in Fiji since the second millennium BC—first Austronesians and later Melanesians, with some Polynesian influences. A military government declared a Republic in 1987 following a series of coups d’état.
Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific through its abundant forest, mineral, and fish resources. The currency is the Fijian dollar, with the main sources of foreign exchange being the tourist industry, remittances from Fijians working abroad, bottled water exports, and sugar cane.
New Caledonia is a French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific. It’s known for its palm-lined beaches and marine-life-rich lagoon, which, at 24,000-sq.-km, is among the world’s largest. A massive barrier reef surrounds the main island, Grand Terre, a major scuba-diving destination. The capital, Nouméa, is home to French-influenced restaurants and luxury boutiques selling Parisian fashions.
