Brace for Extreme Weather Patterns, Prakash Warns

Fijians are advised to brace for extreme weather patterns as the climate crisis, exacerbated by the warming of global temperatures have an impact on weather patterns in the country.

In an interview on the sidelines of COP28 in Expo City Dubai, Fiji Meteorological Service acting director Bipen Prakash said everyone must be prepared for extreme weather events in months and years to come.

He said it had been projected that sea level would continue to rise with air temperature rising.

“We hear that at home it is quite hot and we are noticing in our observation records going back to the 1800s a clear indication of increase in air temperature,” Mr Prakash said.

“What people are facing as confirmed by the data and our observations as well that in future, especially during summer that it would be overwhelming.

“Heatwaves will become a challenge, especially for vulnerable people who have health conditions.”

He said while tropical cyclones would become less frequent there were more chances of it becoming a severe one.

“There is a range of sea level rise because sea water is rising and places which did not use to flood are getting flooded,” Mr Prakash said.

“Another important thing to note is when the atmosphere becomes warmer, it is able to hold more moisture.

“What it means is that we could have prolonged dryness and when it rains it could become intense for example what we face the other day in Navua that in a short period more than 300 millimetres of rainfall was experienced.”

Fijians must be prepared for this kind of extremes as the planet continues to get warm.

“The delegation over here is trying very hard to keep the warming at 1.5 degrees because if we go further, the impact can be far more devastating.”

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