The Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) programme has received a major boost with Tonga’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Lord Fakafanua, graciously accepting the role of championing the Weather Ready Pacific Programme.

Confirmed during his recent meeting with the Director General of SPREP on 30 January 2026, this marks a significant milestone for regional efforts to strengthen weather and climate resili-ence across the Pacific. 

New climate data shows that 2025 was the fifth warmest year ever recorded in the western Pacific, continuing a long term warming trend that is reshaping conditions across the region.

According to ERA5, a global climate dataset from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2025 was the third warmest year on record worldwide, following 2024 and 2023. In the western Pacific, it ranked fifth warmest since 1940, with January, February, March, May, and October all among the hottest months ever observed.

As climate‑related hazards intensify, the demand for accurate, timely and easy‑to‑use forecasts has never been higher, especially for sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, transport, tourism and disaster management.

Ricky Joram is entering a defining phase of his climatology career, leading a three week regional attachment that aims to transform how Nauru gathers, analyses, and shares climate information. This opportunity places him at the centre of efforts to strengthen national climate services and support climate resilient development. 

11 February, Apia – More Pacific girls are being encouraged to see themselves as future leaders in weather and climate science, following an interactive International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) event held today in Apia.