The South Pacific is forecast to experience seven to eleven cyclones this season, and three or four of those are likely to be severe.
The region's forecasters have released their cyclone outlook, which also says there is a 68 percent chance of an El Niño developing.
It says the eastern Pacific - from Samoa to Cook Islands and French Polynesia's Austral Islands - have an elevated risk of cyclones.
The principal forecaster for New Zealand's NIWA, Chris Brandolino, told Jamie Tahana the Pacific already had an unseasonal head start when Cyclone Liua hit Solomon Islands last month.
Hurricane Lane 22-8-2018. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
