Tropical Cyclone Lola in Vanuatu
Tropical Cyclone Lola formed over the South Pacific Ocean on 21 October 2023 and started moving towards Vanuatu.
Making landfall on the 24 of October 2023 the Vanuatu Meteorology Department upgraded the cyclone to category 5 and winds brought by Lola were estimated up to 230 kph at the centre of the storm. Multiple provinces in the country's north and central areas specifically Torba, Sanma, Penama, Malampa, and Shefa were badly affected. As the storm progressed it was downgraded to a category 4. Lola is Vanuatu's third major storm in seven months.
The eastern side of the Solomon islands was also at risk and weather warnings were issued for heavy rain, damaging winds and possible landslides.
Cyclone season typically runs from 1 November to 30 April, making Cyclone Lola only the seventh pre-season South Pacific cyclone to form in October since 1970.
Related News and Resources
- Type of event
- Storm
- Location of event
- Vanuatu
- Date of Charter Activation
- 2023-10-23
- Time of Charter Activation
- 12:28
- Time zone of Charter Activation
- UTC+02:00
- Charter Requestor
- UNITAR on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
- Activation ID
- 845
- Project Management
- Ida Svendsen (UNOSAT)
- Value Adding
- Copernicus EMS (Copernicus EMS)