3 March 2026 – The Tonga Meteorological Service (Tonga Met) has strengthened its Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), achieving a first for the Pacific.
Tonga has recruited a dedicated ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Technical Support Officer, funded through the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Tonga Met is the first National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) in the Pacific to recruit a specialised ICT officer under WRP Programme support.
Mr. ‘Inoke Kaufusi has been appointed to the role. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, he brings experience in system administration, network management, cybersecurity, and enterprise infrastructure support. His role will focus on maintaining and strengthening the ICT systems that underpin forecasting operations, data management, and warning dissemination. This investment recognises that strong, resilient ICT systems are essential to delivering reliable and timely weather forecasts and warnings. For Tonga, and many Pacific islands facing increasing risks from tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, flooding, and other meteorological hazards, reliable ICT infrastructure is essential to ensuring communities receive accurate and actionable warnings when they need them most.
The NMHSs operate in a complex ICT environment with rapid technology advancement happening globally. This is driving the strong need for ICT capabilities in house to modernise and upgrade frequently. The Pacific have begun to establish an Integrated Forecasting Platform for the region, which will also require strong ICT skills to support implementation and operations of systems in-country. Through the WRP Programme, ICT support is designed not only to strengthen day-to-day operational systems, but also to enable countries to fully participate in and implement key regional initiatives. This includes modernising data management systems, improving connectivity and cybersecurity, enhancing backup and redundancy systems, and supporting the integration of forecasting tools and early warning dissemination platforms.
By building in-house ICT expertise, Tonga Met will improve system reliability, reduce downtime during severe weather events, and strengthen its ability to deliver continuous services when communities need them most. The recruitment comes at a critical time as major ICT upgrades are underway at Tonga Met.
The Director of Tonga Met, Mr. Laitia Fifita, welcomed the support, stating that, “the technical and funding support from the Weather Ready Pacific Programme in recruiting this ICT Technical Support Officer has been very timely, given the major ICT development works currently happening at Tonga Met.”
Director Fifita expressed Tonga Met's appreciation for the continued partnership with WRPP and SPREP and warmly welcomed Mr. Kaufusi to the team.
Mr. Salesa Nihmei, Director of the Climate Science Information Programme at SPREP, wished to convey his congratulations to Tonga Met Service for working quickly on the appointment of Mr. Kaufusi as the new ICT Technical Support Officer, stating, “The value of Mr. Kaufusi’s skills and expertise will be instrumental in helping Tonga Met Service continue to provide quality, accurate and timely warnings and services across the country, and we wish him the very best in this new role.”
This recruitment reflects WRP Programme’s focus on strengthening national capacity: ensuring Pacific meteorological services have both the systems and skilled personnel needed to protect lives and build climate resilience. The support for ICT is available for NMHSs that require this additional capacity under the WRP.
The WRP Programme was developed by Pacific nations for their own needs and received significant backing during the 51st Forum Leaders Meeting held virtually in 2021. It focuses on strengthening Pacific NMHSs by improving early warning systems, and ensuring that critical weather, climate, and emergency information is disseminated effectively to communities during crucial times.
Photo: Mr. ‘Inoke Kaufusi, the new ICT Technical Support officer of Tonga Meteorological Services (TMS) funded and supported by the Weather Ready Pacific Programme (SPREP) on his first day on the job and supporting the installation and setup of the high-performance workstations at that new TMS headquarters, Matoa, Tongatapu.
The Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme is a regional initiative supporting Pacific island communities. Financial support for the programme is provided by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. Implemented by the SPREP, the programme works closely with Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, regional organisations and technical partners to strengthen Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and improve the delivery of weather and climate services across the Pacific.
For more information about the WRP Programme, or Tonga Met’s ICT development capabilities, please visit the SPREP website or contact WRP Programme Manager Mr Ofa Fa'anunu, ofaf@sprep.org or WRP Programme Communications & Knowledge Management Officer Ms Angelica Salele-Sefo, angelicas@sprep.org .