11 Feb 2010

Pacific region hit with a cyclone a week

12:18 pm on 11 February 2010

The Fiji Meteorological Service is warning the region to brace for another possible cyclone next week.

Forecaster Alipate Waqaicelua says Cyclone Pat is currently weakening as it passes through the southern Cook Islands after causing extensive damage in Aitutaki.

Pat is the third tropical cyclone in as many weeks in the region.

"We are almost having a cyclone a week, and it's just that the climatology or the background weather pattern at the moment is conducive for this. We're going through an active phase or an active period of activity in our part of the world."

Mr Waqaicelua says computer models show a new weather pattern developing around the dateline area that may cause trouble for Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and possibly southern Tuvalu in the next week.

He says in some cases weather warnings are not received by islands affected because their communications infrastructure is poor.