The American Samoa National Weather Service says issuing a watch when there's an approaching cyclone and other disasters is the basic fabric of the territory's warning system.
A disagreement has brewed at the annual meeting of the National Weather Service in American Samoa and Samoa's Meteorological Service over the issuance of warnings for tropical cyclones and other disasters.
Samoa has done away with issuing a watch when there's an approaching cyclone and other disasters and goes straight into issuing a warning.
The National Weather Service's Meteorologist Mase Akapo Akapo says a warning is issued if an event occurs within 24 hours.
He says his office will stay on this course for now.
"It is very difficult but as for those of us who work in this field, we have to come to some kind of agreement because if the two offices are not in agreement, how can we expect our people to understand and know what's going on, that's why we more or less decided to stay on this course."
The American Samoa National Weather Service's Meteorologist Mase Akapo Akapo.
