NEW FORECASTING OFFICE FOR SOLOMON ISLANDS METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS (22ND NOVEMBER 2023) Minister for Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology Honorable Stanley Festus Sofu has expressed his profound gratitude to the Government and people of Australia and the Intergrated Disaster Risk Management Project (IDRM) of the UNDP for providing financial support to build the new forecasting office for the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) in Honiara.

Mr Sofu made the remarks in the presence of the visiting Australian Governor-General His Exellency Honorable David Hurley during the a small handover ceremony at the SIMS Upper Air station compound on monday.

Minister Sofu said SIMS is an essential service provider but over the years have been working under alot of challenges that made it difficuilt for them to properly execute their mandated role. A building dedicated to do forecasting is one such challenge, and we thank you Australia and UNDP for this building.

“Thank you UNDP-IDRM project and DFAT for this timely support. Your assistance will help the SIMS to strengthened and enhance early warnings to key natural induced hazards such as severe weather, Tropical Cyclones, Volcanic eruptions and others”

Meanwhile the Australian Governor General HE David Hurley acknowledged that the work of the SIMS is a very higly technical one that needs good education, concerntration and a good working environment.

After the brief handover, the Governor General and his entourage took a tour of the new facility which will help the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services to deliver 24/7 weather observation and forecasting services, including early warnings for tropical cyclone, flood, and tsunami for Solomon Islands.

The new building was funded by Australia through their partnership with UNDP Solomon Islands IDRM project that supports disaster preparedness and response capability in Solomon Islands.

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