THE US Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding from the US State Department and USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance - OFDA, is upgrading Emergency Managers Weather Information Systems (EMWINs) in the Pacific to ensure officials and decision-makers receive timely warnings.
A statement from the US Embassy said a team of communication consultants hired by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) replaced and upgraded EMWINs at the Nadi Forecast Centre and SOPAC.
The statement said the system was being installed at the National Disaster Management Office and offices of the Mineral Resources Department.
"These systems bring essential satellite imagery and products for weather forecasting, and provide critical, time sensitive multi-hazard information to national meteorological and disaster management offices on flooding, typhoons, tsunami, and other high impact events," the statement said.
"Funding and support for this particular project has been a co-ordinated effort between NOAA's National Weather Service, SOPAC Division of SPC, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
"Similar upgrades and installations have already been completed in the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea."