Climate observations and seasonal rainfall forecasting in the Pacific Islands

In a collaborative effort between the Pacific Islands Global Climate Observing System (PI-GCOS) and the Pacific Rainfall Project (PACRAIN) at the University of Oklahoma, a series of tipping bucket rain gauges with data loggers have been installed on a number of Pacific islands. To date, 50 gauges have been sent to The Cook Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The data collected from these gauges and others is being utilized to enhance seasonal climate predictions in the islands. The Pacific Islands-Climate Prediction Project (PICPP) was developed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology with the goal of facilitating linkages between the National Weather Services in the Pacific Islands and the public, agencies and industries who interests are affected by seasonal climate variability. The software developed for climate prediction in the islands is dependent on accurate, long-term climate observations.

The gauges with data loggers enable the island Meteorological Services to obtain rainfall measurements in remote areas, which then allows for better localized seasonal forecasts.