WMO-No.1356WEATHERCLIMATEWATERStateoftheClimateintheSouth-WestPacific2023BWMO-No.1356©WorldMeteorologicalOrganization,2024Therightofpublicationinprint,electronicandanyotherformandinanylanguageisreservedbyWMO.ShortextractsfromWMOpublicationsmaybereproducedwithoutauthorization,providedthatthecompletesourceisclearlyindicated.Editorialcorrespondenceandrequeststopublish,reproduceortranslatethispublicationinpartorinwholeshouldbeaddressedto:Chair,PublicationsBoardWorldMeteorologicalOrganization(WMO)7bis,avenuedelaPaixP.O.Box2300Tel.:+41(0)227308403CH-1211Geneva2,SwitzerlandEmail:publications@wmo.intISBN978-92-63-11356-9Coverillustration:Atafuatoll,agroupof52coralisletswithinTokelauintheSouthPacificOcean.Credit:NASAJohnsonSpaceCenter.Keymessagespage:Beautifulmorningview,Indonesia.Panorama.Landscape:paddyfieldswithbeautifulcolourandsky.Naturallight.GenerativeAI.Source:iStockNOTEThedesignationsemployedinWMOpublicationsandthepresentationofmaterialinthispublicationdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveronthepartofWMOconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry,territory,cityorarea,orofitsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiersorboundaries.ThementionofspecificcompaniesorproductsdoesnotimplythattheyareendorsedorrecommendedbyWMOinpreferencetoothersofasimilarnaturewhicharenotmentionedoradvertised.Thefindings,interpretationsandconclusionsexpressedinWMOpublicationswithnamedauthorsarethoseoftheauthorsaloneanddonotnecessarilyreflectthoseofWMOoritsMembers.iContentsKeymessages...........................................iiForeword.............................................iiiPreface...............................................ivGlobalclimatecontext......................................1Regionalclimate.........................................2Majorclimatedrivers.....................................2Temperature..........................................3Precipitation..........................................4Cryosphere..........................................5Sea-surfacetemperature...................................5Oceanheatcontent......................................7Sealevel............................................8Extremeevents..........................................9Tropicalcyclones.......................................9Heavyprecipitationandflooding..............................10Droughtandwildfires.....................................11Extremeheat.........................................11Marineheatwaves.......................................12Climate-relatedimpactsandrisks...............................13Affectedpopulationanddamage..............................13StatusofearlywarningsystemsintheSouth-WestPacific................14EarlywarningsandanticipatoryactionintheSouth-WestPacific............15Challengesandopportunities................................15Datasetsandmethods......................................18Listofcontributors........................................21Endnotes.............................................22WeneedyourfeedbackThisyear,theWMOteamhaslaunchedaprocesstogatherfeedbackontheStateoftheClimatereportsandareasforimprovement.Onceyouhavefinishedreadingthepublication,weaskthatyoukindlygiveusyourfeedbackbyrespondingtothisshortsurvey.Yourinputishighlyappreciated.KeymessagesTheyear2023wassubstantiallywarmerthanthepreviousseveralyearsintheSouth-West...