FUNAFUTI - Stormy weather has delayed the forming of a new government in Tuvalu, with freshly-elected lawmakers still unable to reach parliament Friday, weeks after the Pacific nation went to the polls.

Senior electoral officer Semi Malaki told AFP that around half of the 16 elected members remained stranded on outer islands and were having trouble reaching the capital Funafuti due to high winds and rough seas.

"Hopefully, by next week we have all the MPs here on Funafuti and proceed with the election of the prime minister," Malaki added.

Tiny Tuvalu's January 26 vote was closely watched in Beijing, Washington and Taipei, amid rumours a new government could switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

But since the vote, a low-pressure trough has brought heavy rain and high winds that have kept boats in port and MPs-elect at home.

Until a new government can be formed, ousted pro-Taiwan Prime Minister Kausea Natano, who lost his seat in the Funafuti constituency, remains in charge in a caretaker capacity.

Once a new prime minister is elected, there is speculation that Tuvalu -- one of just 12 states including the Holy See that still formally recognise Taiwan -- could switch allegiance to China.

Neighbouring Nauru recently severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China, fuelling rumours Tuvalu could be next.

Beijing has been methodically poaching Taiwan's Pacific allies, convincing Solomon Islands and Kiribati to switch recognition in 2019 before Nauru did the same.

Before the election, Natano's finance minister Seve Paeniu had floated the idea of Tuvalu reviewing its Taiwan ties.

With no formal political parties, the process of MPs selecting a new prime minister and potentially changing government had already been expected to be slow, before bad weather forced further delays.