Fiji, Sept. 14 -- Outgoing chair of the Pacific Meteorological Council and Director of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Hydrology Service, Levu Antfalo says the region's weather services have never been better at producing warnings but the last, and hardest, stretch remains getting people to act on them.

The comment comes days after an inter-island ferry went down in rough seas in northern Vanuatu.

Vanuatu's Prime Minister's Office says one person is dead and more than 30 are missing after the MV Matui sank in rough seas between Santo and Ambae on 11 September. Investigations into the cause are continuing.

Antfalo said his service had issued warnings "three or four days prior" to the incident.

"It was hard for me, because although we did o...