On the eve of White Sunday, the Samoa Meteorology Division has issued a statement cancelling its heavy rain warning and flood advisory.

According to the weather bulletin issued by the Samoa Meteorological Service issued 5am Saturday [local time] and its follow-up bulletin, its flood and heavy rain advisories are now cancelled.

“Heavy rain warning – cancelled. Flood advisory - cancelled,” the statement issued stated.

Latest satellite data shows a cloud band to the southeast of Samoa, associated with a convergence zone that has affected the islands since Friday evening.

But a moist easterly wind flow now prevails over the group which therefore warrants for the cancellation of the flood advisory and the heavy rain warning.

For today, cloudy periods with some isolated brief showers are to be expected.

The Pacific Meteorological Desk Partnership at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme [S.P.R.E.P.] has also officially declared La Nina in the Pacific with expected stronger than normal rainfall in the coming months.

The declaration was made on Friday afternoon.

It comes amidst heavy downpours in Samoa in recent days, which brought flooding and landslides in some parts of the country, including Fagaloa. 

La Niña is the name given to the phenomenon where the trade winds become stronger, enhancing the warm pool in the western Pacific and causing the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific to become cooler.

"As a result, Pacific islands in the central Pacific region such as Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu may experience below normal rainfall during this period, while islands in the South-West Pacific will usually experience higher than normal rainfall, such Fiji, Niue,  Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Southern Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu."

La Niña is expected to persist for at least five months.