The Samoa Meteorological Services is laying the foundation for a transformative upgrade to its infrastructure, with the planned installation of a state-of-the-art weather radar, allowing more accuracy in predicting weather, even down to the amount of expected rainfall.

This significant development will enhance the Samoa Met Service’s capacity and ability to access and interpret more accurate and timely weather and climate information, ultimately bolstering early warning systems, strengthening disaster preparedness, and supporting more informed decision-making across key sectors.

The weather radar, funded under the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme, with the technical support and advice of the Meteorological Services New Zealand, who are currently in Samoa this week on a scoping mission to identify possible sites for the weather radar.

According to Afaese Dr. Luteru Tauvale, Director of the Samoa Meteorological Services, the weather radar will provide more detailed information, and more accurate and reliable forecasts can then be generated from this information.