Vanuatu expects more rain

Vanuatu has been warned to expect a lot more rain between March and May.

Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department said the La Nina season that began in June last year will continue until April this year.

Allan Rarai, the Climate Service Manager, said apart from the normal wet season, Vanuatu will still record above average rainfall throughout the islands around March.

He said this prediction is based on information the Meteo has in partnership with sectors in the region such as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“People will notice that during the past days, it didn’t rain but we are still in the wet season and more rain is coming,” he said.

“At the moment what causes the heat now is the energy left in the atmosphere that was caused by the past heavy rainfall and the formation of the cyclones within Vanuatu.

“Before Cyclone Yasa, Vanuatu experienced heavy rainfalls in Torba, Maewo and Pentecost, and not long after, Cyclone Anne that formed east of Vanuatu and went to Fiji.

“Another tropical low formed west of Vanuatu, later named Bina, died 24 hours later north of Fiji, so all of this made the atmosphere warm.”

Mr Rarai said last year during December, the La Nina period developed more, which was why we saw a lot of heavy rainfall between December and in January.

“In January, most rainfall stations in Vanuatu recorded above average rainfall so this gives an indication that even though the atmosphere stops giving out rain, we are going to expect more rain and some places, as we’ve experience, will be flooded,” he said.

“Vanuatu is still in the cyclone season and we must all prepare to face these climatic impacts.”

The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department is appealing to people, including Government sectors, who are being affected by climate to seek advice before planning their activities, such as planting crops and construction works.

Vanuatu’s wet season is from November to April.