Cyclone awareness

Vanuatu is regularly subject to Cyclones between November and April each year.  Communities in Vanuatu have built up a strong resilience to natural hazards through generations of experience in managing them.  The Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Vanuatu Meteorological and Geohazards Department (VMGD) support communities to prepare for and respond to Cyclones.

VMGD has advanced weather forecasting systems and publishes the Tropical Cyclone Warning each day of the cyclone season at 6am and 6pm.  The Cyclone Tracking Map has been prepared for communities to keep up to date on the location of any cyclones in the region by following regular radio updates that describe the latest position of a cyclone on a grid that can easily be seen on the tracking map.   Download and print a copy of the tracking map now and discuss it with your family, friends and community.  It has lots of information about cyclones categories, the official alert system and radio stations that regularly broadcast advisory updates and warnings.  

The NDMO has a Cyclone Support Plan that documents the roles and responsibilities for Government line ministries and partner agencies in preparing for and responding to a Cyclone, more information can be found here on the Cyclone Support Plan.   

Colour alerts

Blue Alert

VMGD is forecasting a Cyclone within 48 hours – BE PREPARED
• Stay tuned and informed through Radio, TV, SMS, or Internet
• Secure and stow away loose material and rubbish, tie down roof, prepare and erect cyclone shutters

Yellow Alert

VMGD is forecasting a Cyclone within 36 hours – GET READY, ACT NOW
• Stay tuned and informed through Radio,TV, SMS, or Internet
• Bring together people you are responsible for, including bringing children back from school

Red Alert

VMGD is forecasting a Cyclone within 24 hours – STAY IN SHELTER OR SAFE PLACE
• Stay tuned and informed through Radio, TV, SMS, or Internet
• Turn off all gas and electricity and unplug all electrical items from the sockets

Cyclone categories

   

   Land Impact

 

   Sea State

Tropical Low

  land tropical low   sea tropical low

 Category 1

  land category 1   sea category 1

Category 2

  land category 2   sea category 2

Category 3

  land category 3   sea category 3

 Catgeory 4

  land category 4   sea category 4

Category 5 

  land category 5   sea category 5

Vanuatu Cyclone Tracking Map

Listen to the radio and check SMS for Tropical Cyclone location coordinates to track Tropical Cyclone location on Tracking Map.

Radio Broadcast Frequencies

Listen to the radio and check SMS for Tropical Cyclone location coordinates to track Tropical Cyclone location on Tracking Map.