El Niño conditions are likely to develop by mid-2026, according to the 18th Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF-18) which was held over 23–24 April 2026 in Nadi, Fiji. The forum, coordinated by the WMO RA-V Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network, convened experts from across the Pacific to assess current climate conditions and provide seasonal outlook guidance.
Mr. Kasis Inape is one of the longest serving climatologists in the Pacific region. The Assistant Director of Climate within the Papua New Guinea National Weather Service has 32 years of service under his belt. Mr. Inape has been with the Papua New Guinea Weather Service since 1994, and he says that the work still excites him to this day.
9 April 2026, Alofi – Niue has welcomed enhanced connectivity to support its weather monitoring and forecasting operations after the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme handed over three new Starlink satellite internet units to the Niue Meteorological Service.
The timing is particularly significant.
Alofi, Niue – In a small island nation where a single passing storm can affect every household, the ability to communicate timely and clear weather information is more than a technical challenge: it is a matter of community safety. On 24-25 March 2026, representatives from Niue Meteorological Services, government sectors, the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), communications companies, women’s groups, community elders, and local media came together for a two-day training facilitated by the Weather Ready Pacific
The Pacific’s ability to protect lives, livelihoods, and economies from increasingly frequent and severe weather hazards has taken another important step forward through the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme. The programme is the brainchild of the Pacific Meteorological Council and is being implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Building on previous regional training workshops on PICASO, this workshop shifts focus from system familiarization toward operational strengthening of seasonal forecasting practices and applied climate services.
The workshop will support National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in:
25 March 2026, Nuku’alofa – The Kingdom of Tonga will host the eighth sitting of the Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting (PMC-8) and the fourth convening of the Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-4) from 21 – 25 September this year. This was confirmed by the Cabinet of Ministers decision on the 6th March 2026.
