PNG National Weather Service

18/09/2026

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:
REVIEWED AT: 05:00 PM | Friday, 18ᵗʰ September, 2026.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦:
WATERS OF:
► SOUTHERN/PNG INDONESIAN BORDER TO DARU, THROUGH GULF OF PAPUA TO YULE ISLAND TO HOOD POINT.
► FROM VITIAZ/DAMPIER STRAIT TO SIASSI AND LONG ISLANDS TO WEST NEW BRITAIN.
► INCLUDING WESTERN SECTOR OF CORAL SEA AND SOUTH OF BISMARCK SEA.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:
VERY STRONG SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THE
NEXT 12-24 HOURS, CAUSING VERY ROUGH AND HIGH SEAS.

𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
ALL SMALL CRAFT AND BOATS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTION BEFORE GOING OUT TO SEA, ESPECIALLY IN THESE WARNING AREAS.

NEXT REVIEW: 5:00 PM, Friday, 18/09/26

18/09/2026

𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:

REVIEWED AT: 05:00 PM | Friday, 18ᵗʰ September, 2026.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦:
WATERS OF:
► SOUTHERN/PNG INDONESIAN BORDER TO DARU, THROUGH GULF OF PAPUA TO YULE ISLAND TO HOOD POINT.
► FROM VITIAZ/DAMPIER STRAIT TO SIASSI AND LONG ISLANDS TO WEST NEW BRITAIN.
► INCLUDING WESTERN SECTOR OF CORAL SEA AND SOUTH OF BISMARCK SEA.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:
VERY STRONG SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS, CAUSING VERY ROUGH AND HIGH SEAS.

𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
ALL SMALL CRAFT AND SEA-GOING VESSELS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID GOING OUT TO SEA OR TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR.
VILLAGES LOCATED ALONG THE COASTLINES OF THE SPECIFIED WARNING AREAS MUST REMAIN HIGHLY VIGILANT AND TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO SAFEGUARD LIVES AND PROPERTY.

NEXT REVIEW: 11:00 PM, Friday, 18/09/26 See less

14/09/2026

✈️ **EVERY PACIFIC FLIGHT BEGINS WITH THE WEATHER**

For most of us, a journey begins at the airport.

We check in, collect our boarding pass, say goodbye to family and wait for our flight.

But long before an aircraft leaves the runway, another journey has already begun — **the work of aviation meteorological services.**

Across the Pacific, meteorological observers and forecasters are monitoring wind, visibility, cloud, thunderstorms, rainfall and other weather conditions that can affect aircraft operations.

A passenger travelling from **Port Moresby to Nadi and onward to Nuku'alofa** may simply see one journey. Behind that journey is a regional network of National Meteorological Services supporting aviation with weather observations, forecasts, warnings and other critical information.

🌏 **Weather does not stop at national borders.**

A thunderstorm near an airport, strong winds, poor visibility, turbulence, volcanic ash or a tropical cyclone can affect flights across several countries.

This is why regional cooperation through the **Pacific Island Aviation Weather Services (PIAWS) Panel**, discussed at the Pacific Meteorological Council, is so important.

The technical discussions around observations, forecasting, competency, Quality Management Systems, infrastructure and sustainable aviation meteorological services ultimately come down to something very human:

**Can our people travel safely and reliably across the Pacific?**

For our island nations, aviation is more than transportation.

Aircraft carry students to universities, patients to medical treatment, workers to their jobs, tourists to our islands, essential supplies to communities and families home to their loved ones.

So when we strengthen aviation meteorological services, we are not simply investing in weather offices.

**We are investing in safer skies, stronger connectivity and resilient Pacific communities.**

The passenger may never meet the meteorological observer who recorded the weather or the forecaster who monitored the atmosphere.

But their work travels with every flight.

✈️ **Every Pacific flight has a weather story — and behind every safe journey is a network of people across our region watching the weather.**

13/09/2026

Pacific Media Team – Strengthening the Pacific Voice on Weather, Climate and Resilience
Pictured are members of the Pacific Media Team supporting the 8th Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-8) and associated meetings in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. The team brings together Science Communication Officers from Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and journalists and media practitioners from across the Pacific.
The team was strengthened through the Pacific Media Mana Class, delivered through collaboration between SPREP and the Pacific Community (SPC) under the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac). The training brought together journalists, journalism students and Science Communication Officers to strengthen their ability to communicate weather, climate and early-warning information in ways that communities can understand and act upon. (SPREP)
Following the training, participants formed the Pacific Media Team, providing coverage of PMC-8 and the 4th Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-4) through newspaper, television, radio and online platforms across the region. (Islands Business)
The team represents an important partnership between meteorological science and Pacific storytelling. Science Communication Officers help translate technical weather and climate information, while experienced Pacific journalists and media organisations help take those messages beyond conference rooms and meteorological offices to communities, decision-makers and people at the last mile.
This collaboration reflects an important message emerging from the Pacific Media Mana Class: weather and climate communication is not simply about reporting forecasts. It is about explaining what the information means for people's lives, livelihoods and decisions, so that timely scientific information can contribute to preparedness and early action. (Islands Business)
For PNG National Weather Service, participation in this Pacific network provides an important opportunity to strengthen science communication capacity, build relationships with regional media, and learn new approaches for turning PNG's weather, climate, ocean and early-warning information into people-centred stories that are understandable, relevant and actionable.
This direction also aligns strongly with the PMC's earlier recommendation that National Meteorological and Hydrological Services strengthen communications capacity and strategies, and that regional partners support NMHS staff and Pacific media to better communicate meteorological and climate information. (Pacific Meteorological Desk)
From science → to communication → to understanding → to preparedness → to action.
Pacific science, told through Pacific voices, for safer and more resilient Pacific communities.
Photo: Pacific Media Team, Pacific Meteorological Week, Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, September 2026.

13/09/2026

12/09/2026

Prime Minister James Marape has announced that K5 million will be disbursed to each of Papua New Guinea’s 96 districts next week to support communities affected by the El Niño-induced drought and food shortages.

09/09/2026

Sea surface temperatures across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific (Niño 3.4 region)— the region at the heart of El Niño—are already well above average and are continuing to rise.

The widely used Niño 3.4 index which measures sea surface temperature anomalies in the region has shown this development:
🟡 May-July 2026: +1.5 °C above normal
🟠 July 2026: +2.0 °C above normal
🔴 Late July to mid-August 2026: +2.2 °C to +2.6 °C above average (weekly values)

Underwater, temperatures were even warmer, reaching more than 8°C above average during July and early August in some areas.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀?
Multi-model ensemble forecasts indicate that stronger El Niño conditions will further strengthen, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region expected to reach approximately +3.6°C. It is expected to peak in November-December 2026.

A positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole is also expected to develop, reaching a mean value of 0.9°C during September- November 2026. Meanwhile, the equatorial Atlantic basin is forecast to remain generally warm with above normal sea surface temperatures. These conditions may reinforce, weaken or alter typical El Niño impacts in different regions.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹-𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰?
El Niño can reshape weather and climate patterns even thousands of kilometres away from the tropical Pacific. This map shows the global sea surface temperature anomaly forecast for September-November 2026.

National Meteorological and Hydrological Services remain the authoritative source of official warnings and relevant climate information in your region.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4x1LoCD

24/08/2026

El Niño is predicted by monitoring conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Using climate models, experts can estimate how they might evolve over the coming months.

Monitoring relies on a global network of observations, including satellites, ocean buoys, research ships and atmospheric measurements operated by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and international partners. They observe sea-surface temperatures, winds, rainfall, air pressure and ocean heat content to produce these forecasts.

Did you know that improved seasonal forecast models can now predict climate patterns one to six months in advance?

One of the main tools used to track ENSO events is the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI). It measures whether sea-surface temperatures in a key area of the equatorial Pacific called the Niño 3.4 region are warmer or cooler than their long-term average over a three-month period. Warmer-than-average conditions point to El Niño, while cooler-than-average conditions point to La Niña.

In a warming climate, scientists are also looking at the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI). It measures how warm or cool the Niño 3.4 region is compared to the rest of the tropics at the same time. This helps separate ENSO conditions from the broader warming of the global ocean.

Watch this space for the latest updates on El Niño. Stay tuned as we launch the release the next El Niño update on 3 September!

Visit 🔗wmo.int

21/08/2026

𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:
REVIEWED AT: 11:00 AM | Friday, 21st August, 2026.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦:
WATERS OF:
► VITIAZ & DAMPIER STRAITS, INCLUDING SIASSI & LONG ISLANDS.
► NORTHERN COASTLINE OF WEST NEW BRITAIN AND ITS SURROUNDING ISLANDS.
► SOUTH TO CENTRAL SECTOR OF BISMARCK SEA.
► KOKOPO & RABAUL, THROUGH ST. GEORGE CHANNEL & DUKE OF YORK ISLAND, TO NAMATANAI DISTRICT, INCLUDING FENI AND NISSAN ISLANDS.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:
VERY STRONG SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 34 TO 48 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THENEXT 12-24 HOURS CAUSING VERY ROUGH AND HIGH SEAS ACROSS THE SPECIFIED WARNING AREAS.

𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
ALL SMALL CRAFT AND SEA-GOING VESSELS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID GOING OUT TO SEA OR TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR.
VILLAGES LOCATED ALONG THE COASTLINES OF THE SPECIFIED WARNING AREAS MUST REMAIN HIGHLY VIGILANT AND TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO SAFEGUARD LIVES AND PROPERTY.

NEXT REVIEW: 5:00 PM, Friday, 21/08/26

21/08/2026

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:
REVIEWED AT: 11:00 AM | Friday, 21st August, 2026.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦:
COASTAL WATERS OF:
►SOUTHERN PNG/INDONESIAN BORDER TO DARU.
► EASTERN TO NORTHERN COASTS OF MILNE BAY AND ALL ITS ISLANDS, TO CAPE VOGEL.
► FINSCHHAFEN TO SOUTHERN COAST OF WEST NEW BRITAIN (GASMATA, KANDRIAN, ARAWE ISLANDS) & EAST NEW BRITAIN, TO NEW IRELAND TO BOUGAINVILLE.
► SOUTHERN TO EASTERN COASTS AND ISLANDS OF MANUS.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:
STRONG SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 33 KNOTS WITH STRONGER GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS CAUSING ROUGH SEAS ACROSS THE SPECIFIED WARNING AREAS.

𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
ALL SMALL CRAFT AND BOATS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTION BEFORE GOING OUT TO SEA, ESPECIALLY IN THESE WARNING AREAS.

NEXT REVIEW: 5:00 PM, Friday, 21/08/26