Pacific

RNZ Pacific's CYCLONE WATCH service now in operation

11:08 am on 6 November 2021

The 2021-2022 Pacific cyclone season has started, and officially runs from November 1, 2021 to the end of the cyclone season in 2022.

If Cyclone Alerts are issued for South Pacific countries, RNZ Pacific will broadcast hourly updates of these bulletins if necessary, and whenever the situation changes. These will be heard either just before the top of each hour or following news bulletins at the top of each hour.

We will do our best to keep listeners informed of all weather updates.

Reporter Koroi Hawkins (left) with Chief Ben Lovo of Erromango who said he was able to warn people to take shelter a few hours before Tropical Cyclone Pam, a category 5 cyclone, made landfall by listening to RNZ Pacific's Cyclone Watch Service. Photo: RNZI

We try to get damage reports from local authorities, non-governmental agencies active in the field and people affected who we manage to reach.

Our information comes from the Nadi Met Office in Fiji and from the New Zealand MetService.

In addition, we can access weather bulletins from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga Meteorological Offices.

You can also follow us on twitter @RNZPacific and on @RNZPacific Facebook.

Frequency schedule during a cyclone. From November 2021 to February 2022

Frequency schedule during a cyclone. From November 2021 to February 2022 Photo: RNZ Pacific Pacific

In the event of a cyclone, RNZ Pacific will run a 24-hour analogue short-wave service (for individual short-wave listeners to receive RNZ Pacific directly).