Samoa prepares for hurricane season
Cyclone Gita A satellite view of Cyclone Gita that ravaged Samoa with heavy rains, flooding and destructive winds in February of 2018.
Image: Wikipedia
Local weather experts are preparing Samoa for hurricane season with warnings about possible landslides that are triggered by heavy rains and strong winds brought on by inclement weather.
As of Wednesday, the Samoa Meteorological Service had not issued its 2022-2023 Tropical Cyclone Outlook which gives the public an idea of how many hurricanes are expected for Samoa this season.
But the information will be released in the coming weeks before November which signals the start of hurricane season, an official with the Samoa Met Service told EyeSpy Radio.
On Wednesday, the weather office issued a statement on its Facebook page about safety billboards that have been placed along the roadside around the country.
The weather office alerts the public that Samoa's season of heavy rains and strong winds caused by cyclones is approaching.
Experts advise residents to be aware of the dangers and risks caused by extreme weather in the areas where they live, work and travel.
The Samoa Met Service seeks to draw the public's attention to the billboards that have been erected to increase awareness on safety and readiness for the cyclone season.
The weather office informs the public that it is against the law to tamper with or destroy the billboards.
Among those billboards is a safety message posted along the coast in an area that is prone to landslides. The billboard warns travelers that they are entering an area where landslides occur.
Safety billboards have been built at locations around the country and weather experts caution the public to heed the safety warnings as hurricane season approaches.
Photo: Samoa Meteorological Service/Facebook
While the Samoa Met Service has yet to release the country's official Tropical Cyclone Outlook for 2022-2023, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (N.I.W.A.) does provide some clues on what Samoa and the region can expect this season.
New Zealand-based N.I.W.A. issued its newest Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Outlook early this month on 12 October.
An assessment of named Tropical Cyclone activity by N.I.W.A. indicates that six (6) to 10 named Tropical cyclones could possibly occur in the Southwest Pacific basin between November 2022 and April 2023.
N.I.W.A. notes that the seasonal outlook is for near normal activity in terms of overall named tropical cyclones in the region.
Below normal tropical cyclone activity is forecast for Samoa, American Samoa and additional islands in the region but despite the risk reduction in some locations like Samoa, cyclones are still expected for countries that typically experience one or more named storms per year, N.I.W.A. said.
At least three severe tropical cyclones reaching Category 3 or higher might occur anywhere across the region "so all communities should remain prepared," the Institute said.