GOVERNMENT OF TONGA
METEOROLOGY DEPARTMENT MEDIA RELEASE MINISTRY OF METEOROLOGY, ENERGY, INFORMATION, DISASTER MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE & COMMUNICATIONS
P.O. Box 1380, Domestic Terminal, Fua’amotu Airport, TONGA
Tel: (676) 35355/35008 Fax: (676) 35123 Email:
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EL NIŇO ALERT
Tonga could experience cooler nights, less rainfall, and more cyclones.
El Nino Alert
An El Niño ALERT is now in force for Tonga. This means that the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean is now warmer than usual.
Figure 1: The set-up of El Niño conditions in the South Pacific Ocean. (Source: https://scijinks.gov/el-nino/ )
Impact of El Nino on Tonga
If El Nino occurs in the coming months, the likely impacts on Tonga will include:
1. Cooler at night
2. Less rainfall over the next 6 to 12 months
3. More tropical cyclones in the next cyclone season (1 November 2023 – 30 April 2024)
The prediction
There is a 70% chance of El Niño forming this year with general agreement that El Nino will start in the July to August 2023 time frame.
Figure 2: Global climate models agree that El Nino will occur before the end of 2023. (Source: Australia Bureau of Meteorology)
Recommended actions for the next 3 to 6 months.
1. Be updated with the latest El Nino Updates from the Meteorology Department.
2. Use rainwater wisely, especially for small island communities dependent on rainwater and collect as much rainwater as possible when it rains.
3. The health sector should prepare for disease outbreaks associated with cooler nighttime temperatures, drought and water contamination during cyclone events.
4. The agriculture sector should deploy farming and livestock management methods associated with drought.
5. The fisheries sector should prepare for a reduction in tuna and migratory fish species stocks, possible coral bleaching, and elevated chance of occurrence of algae bloom (red tides).
6. The water sector should closely monitor ground water availability and quality.
7. Emergency managers including village a district emergency management committees should activate preparatory phase of hazard response to drought and tropical cyclones.
8. The infrastructure sector should prepare for a more active tropical cyclone season starting in November.
9. Care givers should prepare for cooler nighttime temperatures, access to clean water and a likely increase in cyclone evacuation incidences in the next cyclone season.
10. The utilities sector should prepare for a more active cyclone season starting in November.
For more information on the El Nino Alert
Contact the Meteorology Department of the Ministry of Environment, Energy, Climate Change, Disaster Management, Meteorology, Information and Communications (MEIDECC) at toll-free number: 0800638 or phone no. 35-009 or Email:
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