Weather Bulletin issued by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, Port Vila at 1:00 am Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Synoptic Chart (191200Z)
A ridge of high pressure remains over southern Vanuatu while a trough lies further north, slow moving.

Satellite Images
Latest satellite (IR) imagery including a six hour loop indicates mostly broken to overcast low, middle and high level clouds over Vanuatu group, while scattered to broken Torba, Sanma and Penama provinces. Few to scattered CBs are evident about the group. Latest METAR and synoptic observations correlate with the imagery.

Models
The trough mentioned will hover over northern vicinity most of this weekend and early next week moving very slowly eastward. The ridge of high pressure over southern Vanuatu will remain in that region for the rest of the weekend until early next week. The high pressure over NSW, Australia, has now located near Lord Howe Island and will remain there for another day or two. Its tentative track will continue to maintain moderate to fresh trades over Vanuatu for the next two to three days.

Outlook for the next 7 days
Showers with possible thunder over the northern islands, while partly cloudy with brief showers elsewhere. Showers will contract northward and persist over the northern and parts of the central islands throughout the rest of the weekend and probably early next week. Clearings expected by mid-week next week. As such, a fairly fine and stable weather condition is anticipated about the group towards end of next week. Moderate to fresh trades prevail throughout the group. A severe weather warning issued for the Northern and Central islands. A Strong Wind Warning issued for all open waters. Minimum temperature ranges from 16 °C down south to 24 °C up north. Maximum temperatures range from 26 °C down south to 31 °C up north.