| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 1, 1975; 49 years ago (1975-07-01) |
| Preceding agency | |
| Headquarters | Nadi Airport Nadi, Fiji |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Ministry of Infrastructure and Meteorological Services |
| Website | Fiji Meteorological Service |
TheFiji Meteorological Service (FMS) is a Department of the government ofFiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based on the grounds ofNadi Airport inNadi.[1] The current director of Fiji Meteorological Service is Misaeli Funaki. Since 1985, FMS has been responsible for naming and trackingtropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region. Current Meteorologists working at FMS have a Graduate Diploma in Meteorology from the AustralianBureau of Meteorology.
Before World War II, weather observations in Fiji were the responsibility of the harbour board and limited to recording various meteorological details at various locations around the island nation.[2][3] During the 1939 Defence Conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Fiji's capital Suva was identified as the location of an upgraded meteorological service for the Pacific region.[3] As a result, a facility was established at Laucala Bay during 1940, before it was expanded during the following year to support the operations of theRoyal New Zealand Air Force.[3][4] After the United States of America entered the war, meteorological operations were started at the Nadi Airport by the United States Army Air Forces Meteorological Unit during 1942.[3]
After the war, the Nadi Weather Office (NWO) was converted to a civilian unit, before Laucala Bay's forecasting unit was moved and merged with Nadi's forecasting unit.[3]
Since June 1995, the central weather office of Fiji, Nadi, has been one of sixRegional Specialized Meteorological Centers within the World Weather Watch program of theWorld Meteorological Organization. Its specialty is forecasting tropical cyclones south of theequator to the25th parallel south, and between the160th meridian east and120th meridian westlongitude. FMS issues public and marine weather bulletins forKiribati, Northern Cooks, Southern Cooks,Tuvalu,Tokelau,Niue,Nauru andFiji. The Fiji Meteorological Services, as per agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization, functions as the Meteorological Watch Office for the Nadi Flight Information Region (FIR), whichextends from WesternKiribati toTuvalu,Fiji,Vanuatu,Wallis and Futuna andNew Caledonia.However, it still provides certain aviation forecast services to Cook Islands, Christmas Island (Line Islands),Samoa,Niue andTonga which are situated outside the Nadi FIR boundary. Aviation products issued by FMS includeTerminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF),Trend Type Forecasts (TTF), Area Forecasts, Route Forecasts, Inclement Weather Warnings for Nadi and Nausori Airports, Sigmets and Tropical Cyclone Advisories (TCA). Routine 24 hour TAF's are issued for Nadi (NFFN), Nausori (NFNA), Rarotonga (NCRG), Fuamotu (NFTF), Vavau (NFTV), Faleolo (NFSA), Niue, Tarawa (NGTA), and Christmas Island (PLCH) airports. 24 hour TAF's are also issued for Funafuti (NGFU) airport on certain days. TAF's (validity periods of less than 24 hours) are also issued for Aitutaki (NCAI), Manihiki (NCMH), Penrhyn (NCPY), Haapai (NFTL), Labasa (NFNL) and Rotuma (NFNR) airports.
Special Weather Bulletins (SWB's), Tropical Disturbance Advisories (TDA's), Special Advisory forSamoa, Tropical Cyclone Advisories (TCA's), Tropical Cyclone Sigmets, CREX bulletins, International Marine Warnings associated with tropical cyclones (WTPS and WHPS) and Tropical cyclone forecast and uncertainty tracks are the tropical cyclone products issued by FMS.
Fiji Meteorological Service Korowai Road, NAP 0351 Nadi Airport
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