"An operational system has been developed and implemented for the Fiji Islands to produce and disseminate new early warning information on coastal flooding, which will help save lives and protect property in low-lying, populated coastal areas. There is potential to enhance this early warning platform in the future and to extend it to other South Pacific island nations, and even consider extension to include other coastal flooding sources such as tsunamis. Fiji consists of 33 islands, with 87% of the population living on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Its location makes it vulnerable to tropical cyclones and dangerous storm surges in northern areas that have significant shallow coastal shelves. This is often accompanied by high waves and heavy rains which swell coastal rivers, made worse during high tides. Additionally, Fiji’s southern facing coastlines can suffer severe flooding from swell caused by storms formed thousands of kilometres away, south of Australia and New Zealand, the most recent in May 2018. All of these flood situations will likely be exacerbated with a changing climate, and anticipated sea level rise in coastal areas. Category 4 Cyclone Evan impacted Fiji during December 2012, bringing storm surge and heavy rains, and causing flooding and structural damage estimated at more than US$100 million, with a further US$40 million in short-term economic losses related to the cyclone. As a result, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) requested WMO assistance in developing a coastal early warning forecasting system through the Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project (CIFDP)..."