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Around 40 officials from 14 Pacific Island countries complete intensive PICASO training in Fiji, sharpening the seasonal forecasts that farmers, water managers and disaster responders across the region depend on

Loss of life, damage to agricultural crops, coral reefs and domestic and commercial property damages were among the impacts reported at the 18th Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF-18), in Nadi, Fiji, bringing together climate scientists, oceanographers and sector representatives from across the region.

The two-day forum, organised by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network (RCC-N) including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP), reviewed climate and ocean conditions from October 2025 to April 2026 and produced consensus-based outlooks for May to October 2026.

EU-funded ClimSA Programme has supported every edition of the Forum since its revival in 2023, after an eight-year lapse

PICOF-18 will be held from 23 to 24 April 2026, in Nadi, Fiji, and will be attended by more than 35 professionals from 15 NMHSs across the Pacific. Technical support will be provided by the Bureau of Meteorology Australia (BoM), Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the University of Hawaiʻi (UoH), Météo France, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the APEC Climate Centre, the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Six officers from National Meteorological Services across Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga have been awarded ClimSA scholarships to pursue postgraduate study in Climate Change at USP. What began as funding for two Master's scholarships was stretched,  through the partnership with USP's Centre for Sustainable Futures, to support four Master's candidates and two Postgraduate Diploma students.

Policymakers, sectoral leaders, and community advocates in Vanuatu have been empowered with critical skills to integrate Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)principles into climate resilience efforts across the nation’s key economic sectors.

As one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations, Vanuatu faces escalating risks from cyclones, sea-level rise, and seismic activity.

In response to the 17 December 2024 earthquake, the Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong redy, adapt mo protekt (VanKIRAP) project has delivered vital technological support to enhance the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department’s (VMGD) capacity to manage seismic data, ensuring timely alerts and lifesaving warnings for communities across the nation.

Vanuatu receives the highest number of cyclones than any other country in the Southwest Pacific region. It also remains to be the most vulnerable country in the world to natural disasters and remnants of twin cyclones Judy and Kevin in early 2023 can still be seen in Vanuatu to date. With the increasing vulnerability to the climate crisis and disaster events, the need for timely and precise weather information to enhance Vanuatu’s early warning services could not be understated.

Vanuatu is highly exposed to tropical cyclones, storm surges, landslides, flooding, droughts, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis. These natural hazards compounded by the impacts of the climate crisis place Vanuatu in an increased state of vulnerability each year. This week, the Government of Vanuatu has taken a significant step to tackle the impacts of climate change and natural hazards to build a resilient nation, with the launch of the Vanuatu Climate Atlas.

Vanuatu's ability to conduct climate hazard-based impact assessments has significantly improved following a comprehensive training workshop from 3-7 June 2024.

The World Risk Report has ranked Vanuatu as the world’s most at-risk country to natural disasters and extreme weather events, making climate change the greatest ongoing threat to the well-being and livelihoods of its people and ecosystems.