South-west pacific: The vast ocean expanse in the South-West Pacific is becoming hotter and more acidic, harming local economies and marine ecosystems, whilst rising sea levels threaten vulnerable coastal communities and low-lying island nations, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

According to Emirates News Agency, the "State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2025" report documents how the region had its second warmest year on record (behind 2024), with extreme weather causing widespread disruption, economic damage, and loss of life. The deadliest single event was Cyclone Senyar, the first known system to reach tropical cyclone intensity in the Strait of Malacca, which impacted more than 10 million people in Indonesia and Malaysia and killed more than 1,200.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the centrality of the ocean to livelihoods, economies, and resilience in the South-West Pacific. She noted the region's experience in 2025 with warming oceans, rising sea levels, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification, alongside tropical cyclones and the continued loss of tropical glacier ice.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), highlighted the intensifying multi-hazard risks across Asia and the Pacific. She stressed the intersections with food systems, public health, infrastructure, and oceans, which place new pressures on health and livelihoods. Alisjahbana underscored the importance of early warning and early action, stating that timely alerts, trusted messages, and effective last-mile delivery can save lives.