For generations, farmers in Fiji's Western Division read the rain like a clock. They knew its seasons, its pauses, and the patterns that helped them decide when to plant, prepare, and wait. But what happens when the clock begins to change? Using recorded rainfall data from the Western Division, this story explores how those patterns have shifted, and what that change means for the certainty farmers once relied on.
Each shape shows how far that period's rainfall sat above or below Fiji's long term average, not how much rain fell in total.
What this shows: the average rainfall recorded at Nadi Airport for each month, comparing 1980 to 1999 with 2000 to 2024. The chart uses a calendar wheel so the yearly rainfall pattern can be seen at a glance. How to read it: each position represents a month, starting with January at the top. A point further from the centre means more rainfall. The gold shape represents the more recent period and reaches further out during many of the wetter months, especially from November to April. What it tells us: the wet season has become wetter rather than simply disappearing. This matters because farmers depend on the timing and expected amount of rainfall when planning crops. When the usual seasonal pattern changes, decisions that once felt predictable become harder to make. Hover over a month to see the exact average rainfall for both periods.
What this shows: the longest continuous period with less than 1mm of rain recorded in each decade at Nadi Airport from 1980 to 2024. How to read it: each bar represents one decade and its height shows the longest dry spell recorded during that period. The longest spell was 102 days in the 1990s. The 2000s had the shortest maximum dry spell at 41 days, while the 2010s rose again to 78 days. What it tells us: the pattern does not move steadily towards longer dry spells. Instead, it changes from decade to decade. This is important because the challenge for farmers is not only drought itself, but knowing when a long dry period is likely to occur. Hover over a bar to see the exact number of days.
What this shows: four farming locations in Fiji's Western Division, including Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Sigatoka. These places represent communities where rainfall patterns are closely connected to farming and food production. How to use it: hover over a marked location for a quick fact, then click it to learn more about how rainfall matters there. What it adds: the charts show the rainfall pattern through numbers. The map brings that pattern back to the places and people affected by it. From sugarcane around Lautoka and Ba to vegetable farming in Sigatoka, reliable rainfall timing helps farmers decide when to plant, prepare and harvest.
This is a stylised illustration, not a survey accurate map. The coastline and contours are drawn for orientation, while the town names, positions relative to each other, and the facts about each place are real.
One final view brings the story together. This chart shows how much Fiji's rainfall has varied from normal across each five year period from 1979 to 2025. The line focuses on the size of the swings rather than simply asking whether Fiji received more or less rain overall. Hover over a period to see the rainfall anomaly and the amount of variation recorded.