The Pacific Islands Climate & Ocean Forum (PICOF) is based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Climate Forum concept.
The PICOF is co-organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network (RCC-N), with technical support provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), APEC Climate Centre (APCC), Meteo-France, and Pacific Community (SPC) as members of the Pacific RCC-N Node for Seasonal Prediction in partnership with the Pacific Islands Climate Services (PICS) Panel. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Hawaii (UH) are registered affiliates of the Pacific RCC-N.The latter ensures the needs of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), and their stakeholders are met. The sponsor of PICOF-19 is SPREP ClimaSA Programme.
Additional information on PICOF and the WMO Pacific RCC Network is available via the https://www.pacificrcc.net
Overall objective:
To discuss and produce objective, user-relevant regional climate and ocean outlook guidance in real time to support Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) NMHSs produce national climate and oceans climate information for their national stakeholders, with the ultimate aim to reduce climate-related risks and support sustainable development for the coming season in sectors of critical socioeconomic significance.
Objectives:
- Review the climate and oceanic conditions in the western Pacific region for the period May to October 2026;
- Present and discuss long-term trends and projections for selected climate and ocean variables;
- Present monthly and seasonal climate, ocean and tropical cyclone outlooks for the Southwest Pacific region for the period November 2026 to April 2027;
- Discuss and review confidence/skill associated with November 2026 to April 2027 outlooks based on the discussions associated with 1-3.
Expected Outcomes:
- Improved understanding of climate and ocean monitoring and prediction specifically for the target monitoring and prediction periods.
- Enhanced understanding of outlook confidence/skill for the period in question;
- A regional PICOF statement containing climate, ocean and tropical cyclone outlooks for November 2026 to April 2027 which NMHSs can use as guide to develop their national statements;
- A PICOF-19 report;
- Content for regional partner and NMHSs climate and ocean bulletins as well as media and social media releases.
Meeting Zoom link for participants joining remotely
Join Zoom Meeting
https://sprep.zoom.us/j/94019129619?pwd=tRL1SKlfbkWU3bWMO2PvCB1kQW7grx.1
Join and take notes
https://sprep.zoom.us/j/94019129619?pwd=tRL1SKlfbkWU3bWMO2PvCB1kQW7grx.1&mynotes=on
Meeting chat link
https://sprep.zoom.us/launch/jc/94019129619
Meeting ID: 940 1912 9619
Passcode: Picof19!
Information Note - Partners
Details
Date
Location
Register
Registration FormRegistration
SPREP
Opening and Setting the Scene
Welcome/Opening Prayer
Official Remarks
- Welcome remarks, Mr. Jimmy Gomoga, PNG NWS Director
- PICS Panel Chairman remarks, Dr Simon McGree, BOM
- SPREP remarks, Mr. Salesa Nihmei, CSI Director, SPREP
Workshop objectives and desired outcomes
Dr Simon McGree, BOM
Official photograph and morning tea
Session 1: Overview of the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services
- Socialise the PRSCS
- What we try to achieve – Already covered by Simon in Objectives (previous session)
- What is the current activities implemented by partners
- What needs to be implemented
SPREP/ClimSA - Patricia Mallam
Session 2: Unpacking PRSCS Chapter 4 M&E requirements.
The 17 Strategic Performance Indicators (PIs), the 3 monitoring data streams, and a step-by-step walk-through of the PRSCS Annual Reporting Template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cCtPaW0dMX5ISACN3e3VFGx7eNiUpCXZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114298675618877951390&rtpof=true&sd=true
SPREP ClimSA – Sunny Seuseu
Session 3: Interactive Group Exercise 1 – break into groups, national and regional agencies, complete the PRSCS reporting template. Evaluate baseline data availability and identify technical backstopping needs.
NMHS and Regional Agency Mandates (Lead, Co-Lead, Supporting Partner)
Download template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cCtPaW0dMX5ISACN3e3VFGx7eNiUpCXZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114298675618877951390&rtpof=true&sd=true
SPREP – Philip Malsale
Group presentations – reflections and report back session 3
Lunch
SPREP – Philip Malsale
Session 4: Interactive Group Exercise 2 — Agency Responsibility Mapping Matrix across all 38 actions, explicitly delineating roles between National NMHS Mandates and Regional Agency Mandates (Lead, Co-Lead, Supporting Partner).
Download Mapping Matrix: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OlXqECrrUEF2cGo7kEtd3cyOjOooQGo1/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=114298675618877951390&rtpof=true&sd=true
SPREP – Silipa Mulitalo
Session 4: Sector Integration Exercise focusing on the 7 Priority Thematic Sectors (Agriculture, DRR, Energy, Health, Water, Fisheries, Tourism) and plenary synthesis of the regional responsibility framework.
Download Mapping Matrix: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OlXqECrrUEF2cGo7kEtd3cyOjOooQGo1/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=114298675618877951390&rtpof=true&sd=true
SPREP – Naheed Hussein
Afternoon tea
Group presentations and reflections – report back session 4
Session 5: Next step presentation
- Update 2026-2028 PICS panel plan to include new activities under the PRSCS
- Activities that can form the new regional Climate project
SPREP, Philip Malsale
Closing remarks
PICS Panel Chairman
Opening and Setting the Scene
Chair: Sunny Kamuta Seuseu RCC Coordinator
Opening prayer
Papua New Guinea National Weather Service Rep
Opening remarks
- Welcome Address: Papua New Guinea National Weather Service Rep
- WMO Address: WMO Rep
- SPREP Address: Salesa Nihmei, Director, Climate Science and Information Programme, SPREP.
Meeting objectives
Pacific RCC Management Committee Chair
Morning tea and PICOF-19 official photograph
Session 1: ENSO Status and Outlook
Including highlights from Global Seasonal Climate Update (GSCU)
ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP, SPC
Session 2: Looking Back - Review and Evaluation of May to October 2026 Climate Outlook
i. Atmosphere
Overview of May to October state of the climate, plus evaluation of the last PICOF outlook
NOAA, University of Hawaii, BOM, SPC, SPREP, ESNZ
Session 2: Looking Back - Review and Evaluation of May to October 2026 Climate Outlook
ii. Ocean
Overview of May to October state of the ocean, plus evaluation of the last PICOF outlook
NOAA, University of Hawaii, BOM, SPC, SPREP, ESNZ
Lunch
Session 2: Looking Back - Review and Evaluation of May to October 2026 Climate Outlook
iii. Tropical cyclones
Overview of the TCs over May to October 2026
NOAA, University of Hawaii, BOM, SPC, SPREP, ESNZ
Session 2: Looking Back - Review and Evaluation of May to October 2026 Climate Outlook
iv. Impacts
Overview of extreme events and their impacts on the environment and society over the last six months
FSM (Pohnpei), Fiji and French Polynesia
Session 2: Looking Back - Review and Evaluation of May to October 2026 Climate Outlook
v. Attribution of impacts
In this session we attempt to associate the extreme events to the major drivers of variability e.g. ENSO
SPREP (Vani, Patricia and Silipa)
Session 3: Looking Forward – Monthly and Seasonal Outlooks for November 2026 to April 2027
Session 3i Atmosphere
PICOF outlook and RCC Node for SP individual model/MME guidance and hindcast
ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP, SPC
Group work identifying potential impacts of anomalous atmospheric conditions in each subregion (Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia)
Afternoon tea
Session 3ii Ocean
PICOF outlook and RCC Node for SP individual model/MME guidance and hindcast information.
ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP, SPC
Group work identifying potential impacts of anomalous oceanic conditions in each subregion (Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia)
PICOF-19 Welcome Dinner
Venue: Lamana Resort Hosted by PNG NWS and SPREP
Objective of the day and questions from the previous day
Chair: Simon McGree
Session 3iii
Tropical cyclones
PICOF outlook and RCC Node for SP individual model/MME guidance and hindcast information.
ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP, SPC
Morning tea
Session 4i: Looking Back Long-Term
Rainfall and Air Temperature
CSIRO, BOM, ESNZ, SPREP, Meteo-France, University of Hawaii
Session 4ii: Looking Forward Long-Term
Rainfall and Air Temperature
CSIRO, BOM, ESNZ, SPREP, Meteo-France, University of Hawaii
Session 5: Guidelines for producing national statements, Key messages from PICOF-19
Pacific RCC-N Chair
Lunch
Session 6: NMHSs produce national statements with support from Pacific RCC-N members
Pacific NMHSs, ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP and SPC.
Afternoon tea
Session 6: continued
ESNZ, BOM, Meteo-France, NOAA, University of Hawaii, APCC, SPREP, SPC
Next step, Wrap-up and Close
RCC-N Chairman
Official Opening and Welcome.
Host government (PNG) / Pacific RCC
Status Update: Global to Regional
- WMO Global Seasonal Climate Update
- PICOF (Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum) Statement
- Walkthrough of the regional El Niño status, WhatsApp Community and data sources
WMO
Pacific RCC
SPREP (SN)
Questions and discussion
SPREP
Morning tea
Country Updates
Rapid round of national statements and on-ground observations from each participating country and territory
National Meteorological Services & NDMOs
Lunch
World Cafe: Mapping Impacts Across Sectors
- Rotating sector and sub-region tables, using standard poster templates to capture impacts
- Standard template for participants circulating between tables to record what they see
Facilitated, all participants
PM & SS
Afternoon tea
Panel Discussion: Innovation and Solutions
- PCRIC: parametric insurance statement and payout experience
- UNOCHA / UNDRR: Anticipatory Action and how to mobilise it
- ADB: flexible funding mechanisms for El Niño response
- Live and Learn: community-level preparedness in practice
- FAO and PNG NWS: Case Study on PNG AA
PCRIC
UNOCHA/UNDRR
ADB
Live and Learn
FAO and PNG NWS
Day 1 close and housekeeping for Day 2
SPREP
Recap of Day 1 and framing for Day 2
SPREP (PM)
From Impacts to Action: Resource Mobilisation Dashboard
Translating Day 1's World Cafe impacts data into a live dashboard for resource mobilisation
SPREP (PM & VK)
Special Presentation: Solar Radiation Research on Agriculture
University of Melbourne research findings and implications for Pacific agriculture
University of Melbourne
Morning tea
Working Groups: Developing Sector Briefs
Country or sub-region groups draft tangible sector specific products
Facilitated
Lunch
Working Groups: Developing Sector Briefs
Country or sub-region groups draft tangible sector specific products
Facilitated
Afternoon tea
Working Groups: Presenting and Getting Feedback on Sector Briefs
Each sector brief is presented with feedback from participants
Closing: Tangible Outputs and Next Steps
- Summary of sector outlooks
- Agreed next steps and follow-up dates
Official close
