Honiara, Solomon Islands – 9 November 2026 – The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) has officially launched its 2026 Tropical Cyclone and El Niño Public Awareness Campaign at the ER Building, Vavaya Ridge, Honiara, on Monday, 9 November 2026.
The campaign is being delivered under the theme “Understand the Risks, Prepare Early, Protect Our Communities”, highlighting the importance of public awareness, preparedness and early action in reducing the impacts of severe weather and climate-related hazards across the Solomon Islands.
The launching program brought together participants and stakeholders to strengthen their understanding of tropical cyclone risks, El Niño conditions, early warning information and practical preparedness measures for communities.
The campaign aims to improve public understanding of tropical cyclone hazards and preparedness while raising awareness of El Niño and its potential impacts on rainfall, water resources, agriculture and marine environments.
Through the launch program, SIMS highlighted the importance of accessing and using official weather forecasts, warnings and seasonal climate outlooks to support informed decision-making and early preparedness actions.
The program featured three key technical awareness presentations covering:
Understanding Tropical Cyclones and Preparedness: Providing information on tropical cyclone hazards, associated risks and practical safety measures.
Understanding El Niño and Its Potential Impacts on Solomon Islands: Explaining El Niño conditions and their possible consequences for rainfall, water availability, agriculture and marine environments.
Early Warning Messages, Safety Measures and Early Action: Strengthening understanding of official warning messages and the importance of taking appropriate action before, during and after hazardous weather events.
Participants also had the opportunity to engage with the SIMS technical team through questions and answers, providing an opportunity to clarify important weather and climate information and discuss preparedness measures.
Speaking through the campaign’s key messages, SIMS emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies, schools, non-government organizations, the private sector and communities to ensure that weather and climate information reaches everyone, including women, children, older persons and people with disabilities.
Following the official launch, SIMS will roll out a week-long public awareness program from 9–13 November 2026, engaging schools, communities, government agencies and other stakeholders to promote tropical cyclone preparedness and understanding of El Niño.
The campaign also seeks to strengthen community participation and inclusive disaster preparedness by encouraging individuals, households and organizations to understand weather and climate risks and take appropriate early action.
SIMS continues to encourage the public to follow official weather forecasts, warnings and climate information through its established communication channels and to take preparedness advice seriously.
The key message is clear: Understand the risks, prepare early and protect our communities.
Through this campaign, SIMS reaffirms its commitment to improving public access to reliable weather and climate information and supporting a safer, more informed and climate-resilient Solomon Islands.
Source: Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) – Science Communication and Public Awareness Campaign Team
