1 Nov 2022

RNZ Pacific's cyclone watch service now in operation

8:25 pm on 1 November 2022

The 2022-2023 Pacific Cyclone season has started, and officially runs from November 1, 2022 to the end of the cyclone season in late April 2023.

If cyclone alerts are issued, 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.

Our information comes from the Fiji Meteorological Service and from the New Zealand MetService.

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

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

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

Chief Ben Lovo and Wife Eva Lovo with baby Jay, Richard (Reggae Shirt) and Samuel blue trousers.

Chief Ben Lovo of Erromango with his family. He said he was able to warn people to take shelter a few hours before Tropical Cyclone Pam, a category 5, made landfall by listening to RNZ Pacific's cyclone watch service. Photo: RNZ/ Koroi Hawkins

RNZ Pacific frequencies for the Pacific during the 2022/2023 cyclone season:

·        0000 - 0159 (NZDT) - 13755 kHz (frequency)

·        0200 - 0550 (NZDT) - 7390 kHz (frequency)

·        0551 - 0655 (NZDT) - 9700 kHz (frequency)

·        0656 - 0958 (NZDT) - 11725 kHz (frequency)

·        0959 - 1859 (NZDT) - 15720 kHz (frequency)

·        1900 - 2359 (NZDT) - 13755 kHz (frequency)

 

Fiji's weather office predicts that up to seven tropical cyclones may affect several Pacific countries in the coming cyclone season and up to four of them may be severe.