The South Pacific is the ideal place for a vacation as the climate is tropical throughout the year. The South Pacific only has two seasons – a humid, warmer period from November to April and a drier, cooler period from May to October. Samoa, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and other countries closer to the equator are usually warmer than those found further South, such as Fiji and Tonga.

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A sunny day in the South Pacific An approaching rain shower in the South Pacific

The South Pacific is the ideal place for a vacation as the climate is tropical throughout the year. The South Pacific only has two seasons – a humid, warmer period from November to April and a drier, cooler period from May to October.

Samoa, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and other countries closer to the equator are usually warmer than those found further South, such as Fiji, Tonga, New Caledonia and the Cook Islands.

Due to climate change weather forecasts for the South Pacific have become less predictable than they were in the past. Visitors to the region now experience days of clear, sunny weather during the rainy season and might find themselves getting wet during the traditionally drier period from November to April. Most of the rainfall occurs during the night, but heavy rain showers are usually followed by bright, sunny skies.

The South Pacific also experiences a hurricane season. The official time for this is during the warmer months of November to April, however global warming is having an effect on this.

Hurricane Keli was the first hurricane ever to arrive during the cooler season in June 1997, and in 2002 Hurricane Zoe was recorded as the most powerful hurricane to hit the Pacific.

El Nino, which involves the eastward movement of warm water towards South America, has also become more frequent and brings droughts to Melanesia and prolonged rains to French Polynesia.

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