Pacific Met Directors Discuss 2026-2027 Tropical Cyclone Outlook Ahead of PICOF-19

9 October 2026, Apia, Samoa: Directors of Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) met virtually today for a briefing on the forthcoming Regional Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the 2026/27 season, less than two weeks before the region's climate and ocean community gathers in Port Moresby for the 19th Pacific Islands Climate & Ocean Forum (PICOF-19).

The briefing was convened by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), in collaboration with the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre Nadi (RSMC Nadi), Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) and Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ). It gave Directors an early view of the regional outlook before its public release, and the opportunity to agree on how and when it will be communicated.

Discussions covered the proposed release timing, notification and coordination arrangements between regional and national agencies, and approaches to communications and media engagement. Directors also exchanged views on longer-term governance, mandates and roles for regional and national tropical cyclone outlook services.

The South-west Pacific tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April. Seasonal outlooks give governments, disaster management offices and climate-sensitive sectors several months of lead time to prepare. Their value depends on consistency. When regional and national outlooks are released in step and carry the same message, communities hear one clear voice from the source they trust most, their national meteorological service.

“A tropical cyclone outlook is only as useful as the way it reaches people. Bringing Directors together before the public release means every national service can speak to its own communities with confidence, backed by the same regional science,” said Mr. Salesa Nihmei, Director Climate Science and Information at SPREP.

The briefing sets the stage for PICOF-19, which will be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on 20 and 21 October 2026. The forum brings together climate officers from NMHSs, regional climate centre partners and users of climate information to review recent climate and ocean conditions and to consider the outlook for the months ahead, a period that takes in the 2026/27 tropical cyclone season.

With Directors agreeing release arrangements and messaging for the tropical cyclone outlook in advance, the climate officers who represent their services at PICOF-19 travel to Port Moresby with clear direction from their leadership. These early discussions provide NMHSs to use the analogue years in the TC Portal, combined with their internal methodology to produce their own national tropical cyclone outlook prior to PICOF-19.   

The forum can then give its time to the question that matters most to Pacific communities: what the season ahead means for fisheries, agriculture, water, health, tourism and disaster preparedness, and what action should follow. 

PICOF-19 is also where regional science is translated for national use. The direction set by Directors today on coordination and communication will carry into Port Moresby through their climate officers, who will work with sector representatives to turn seasonal information into guidance that people can act on. During the PICOF, NMHSs will further discuss and refine their national TC and climate outlooks for the season. 

Public release of the outlook

The 2026/27 Regional Tropical Cyclone Outlook will be released publicly on 14 October 2026. National outlooks are issued by individual NMHSs, which remain the official source of tropical cyclone information and warnings for their countries. Communities are encouraged to follow their national meteorological service for updates throughout the season.

ENDS

About PICOF

The Pacific Islands Climate & Ocean Forum is the Pacific's regional climate forum. It brings climate officers from NMHSs, regional and international partners and sector users together to review climate and ocean conditions and to discuss the outlook for the coming season and its implications for the region. PICOF-19 will be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 

About the WMO Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network

The WMO RA-V Pacific Regional Climate Centre Network is a virtual centre supporting National Meteorological and Hydrological Services across the Pacific to generate and deliver up-to-date climate information and products. It has been operating in a demonstration phase since its endorsement at the 4th Pacific Meteorological Council in 2017.

About ClimSA Pacific:

The Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme in the Pacific is a transformative initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by SPREP in partnership with the ACP Secretariat. ClimSA Pacific aims to strengthen climate information services, enhance early warning systems, and empower decision-making across key sectors through tailored, actionable climate products. By supporting National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and regional coordination, ClimSA Pacific is building a more resilient and climate-informed Pacific community.

About COSPPac

The Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific Phase 3 (COSPPac 3) project is a four-year project funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Government of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), which aims to support Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to deliver useful and usable climate and ocean information services to enable all Pacific peoples to remain resilient to the impacts of climate change and disasters. It is jointly implemented by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

For more information, contact:

Patricia Mallam |[email protected] |WhatsApp: +6799962972

Leanne Moananu | [email protected] | WhatsApp: +6857270843