This study investigates how tropical cyclones impact urban residents of Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga. We investigate how people perceive tropical cyclones (TCs), how they are impacted and what methods of adaptation are used to offset damage from TC activity. We propose a conceptual framework to merge the non-traditional knowledge of weather forecasting and climate science with weather-related traditional knowledge, and explore the possibilities of developing a multidimensional TC forecasting tool.