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The Tonga Meteorological Service has launched an advanced mobile application designed to provide early warnings and real-time updates on disasters in Tonga. The launch took place in conjunction with the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Nuku’alofa on Wednesday. The app is part of a wider effort to enhance Tonga’s disaster preparedness capabilities, providing critical alerts and essential information to users on the islands, wherever they are in the world.
Laitia Fifita, acting director of the Tonga Meteorological Service, said the app would ensure faster responses during crises and foster closer collaboration between the public, the development sector, the Meteorological Service and the National Disaster Management Authority. “This platform is a key component of our multi-hazard early warning policy,” Fifita said.
The launch was attended by high-profile figures, including Professor Celeste Szalo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, who stressed the importance of managing natural hazards to prevent disasters. “Disasters occur because we do not have the capacity to respond adequately. Hazards are natural, but disasters are not,” Szalo said.
MEIDECC CEO Sione ‘Akauola noted that communications play a vital role during natural disasters, mentioning the 2022 Hon-Hapai eruption and tsunami in Tonga. He expressed confidence that the new app will provide reliable information to almost everyone in Tonga, no matter where they are.
Ofa Fa’anunu, Pacific Weather Preparedness Project Manager at the South Pacific Environment Programme, spoke about the challenges of tsunami preparedness in Tonga, stressing the need for a rapid response. “The goal is to issue an alert within two minutes of an earthquake,” Fa’anunu said.
In addition to the app, there is a new Weather Radar The New Zealand-funded Pacific Weather Preparedness Program technology has also been launched. The development of the app was supported by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative, the World Meteorological Organization and the South Pacific Regional Environmental Policy Commission.
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