MMS sets out strategic roadmap to enhance weather forecasting, climate services and public warning systems

The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS), under the aegis of the Prime Minister’s Office, organised a Stakeholder Validation Workshop on its Strategic Plan 2027–2031 on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at The Ravenala Attitude, Turtle Bay, Balaclava.

The workshop brought together stakeholders and key partners to review and validate the strategic directions and priorities outlined in the five-year Strategic Plan, aimed at transforming the MMS and strengthening the delivery of meteorological and climate services.

Present on the occasion were the Acting Director of the MMS, Dr Prithviraj Booneeady; Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mrs Shalini Devi Domun; Head of the United Nations Office, Mr Robert Banamwana; Consultant, World Meteorological Organisation, Mrs Alice Suares; and Local Consultant, Mr Fareed Jaunbocus, who presented the MMS Strategic Plan 2027–2031.

In a statement, Dr Booneeady highlighted the central role of the MMS in providing timely and reliable information to the public, particularly through weather warnings and forecasts. He stated that the MMS is looking to transform its systems and operations over the coming five years, with the objective of bringing about significant improvements in the way meteorological and climate services are delivered.

He explained that one of the envisaged improvements concerns the dissemination of weather alerts, which would progressively move beyond text messages towards more visual formats. In this context, the MMS intends to introduce an impact matrix, whereby the potential impacts of weather events would be represented visually, enabling users to quickly identify areas that may be affected.

For instance, areas expected to experience heavy rainfall could be highlighted in red, allowing members of the public to understand the potential impact of a weather event more easily and rapidly, he pointed out.

According to Dr Booneeady, these improvements are in line with Government’s vision of enhancing the quality and accessibility of services provided by the MMS. He expressed hope that some of these changes could begin to be implemented within the next two years.

The MMS Strategic Plan 2027–2031 sets out a transformative vision for the Service, with the objective of “moving from weather forecasting to national climate and resilience intelligence.” It is envisaged as a key tool for the transformation of the MMS, including through improvements in meteorological observations, weather prediction capabilities, and the dissemination and broadcasting of weather and climate information.

The Plan further seeks to strengthen the capacity of the MMS to provide timely, accessible and user-oriented information, thereby supporting decision-making and enhancing the country’s resilience to weather- and climate-related risks.

The workshop also featured an interactive group discussion, during which stakeholders exchanged views and provided inputs on the proposed strategic priorities, objectives and actions of the MMS for the 2027–2031 period. The discussions provided an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the refinement and validation of the Strategic Plan.

25 September 2026

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Topics: Weather, Climate Change