Services in the spotlight

Supporting national security with meteorological training

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is crucial to Australia's national security. It carries out military operations, provides humanitarian support and disaster assistance and protects our borders.

The Bureau of Meteorology plays a vital role in the training of Air Combat Officers at No. 1 Flying Training School, RAAF Base East Sale. Bureau forecasters (who are also instructors) train students to interpret weather data, user aviation warning information and understand the impact of weather on flight planning and aircraft performance. Bureau staff also work closely with the RAAF at the base, providing tailored meteorological information around the clock to support safety during aerial exercises. This covers everything from thunderstorm and cloud information to ground conditions such as wind speed and fog that could make landing hazardous.

RAAF King Air K-350 aircraft fly in formation down the coast from Sale to Geelong.
Credit: Department of Defence

Forecasting seasonal streamflow for water management

Water availability in any catchment area can vary enormously from season to season. Managing the available water supply so that, among other things, farmers can irrigate crops, environmental water can be allocated to support native plants and animals, and the risk of flooding can be minimised, is the responsibility of water authorities. They must make judgments such as when (or if) to release water to irrigators and fill or empty storages. The Bureau of Meteorology's seasonal streamflow forecasts, together with rainfall and temperature outlooks, assist them with predicting inflows to major water storages, and water demand—crucial inputs for their decisions.

Lake Eildon, an important inland waterway, was primarily built to supply water for irrigation. Image: Alison Pouliot

Forecasting 7-day streamflow for river operations

Water levels in our rivers and reservoirs rise and fall, depending on the amount of rainfall and how much of that reaches our waterways. River operators keep a close eye on these fluctuations to ensure that irrigation and environmental water needs are met throughout the year. A key part of their job is assessing the amount of water likely to flow down rivers and into reservoirs in the coming days, weeks and months. The Bureau of Meteorology's 7-day streamflow forecasts help them make those assessments.

Each day, the Bureau issues 7-day streamflow forecasts for more than 100 locations across the nation. These forecasts are generated by combining real-time observations of rainfall and streamflow with rainfall forecasts and hydrologic models. They provide valuable guidance to river operators who make choices about flow diversions and reservoir releases. The forecasts also benefit irrigators, water traders and people using the rivers for recreation.

The 7-day streamflow forecasts are used to help manage water at Lake Hume.

Monitoring water quality in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's most spectacular marine ecosystems, but is vulnerable to environmental stresses such as climate change and pollutant runoff from catchments. Ocean temperature and water quality information is essential to understanding the health of the reef and the likelihood of events such as coral bleaching and coral disease outbreaks. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority monitors reef health using the Bureau of Meteorology's Marine Water Quality Dashboard. Information from the dashboard is used to develop impact assessments and response plans to reduce the effect of the major environmental pressures that pose a risk to the reef.

The Marine Water Quality Dashboard is used to
monitor a range of water quality indicators across
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Forecasting for fire management

Bushfires can pose a major threat to the safety of Australian communities, particularly when conditions change and deteriorate rapidly. Fire services around Australia use the Bureau's comprehensive suite of weather information, alongside expert advice from its fire weather forecasters, to assist with planning, operations and critical decision-making. Using this information, fire service professionals are able to visualise and understand the weather conditions affecting fire danger in their area. This helps them plan activities for high-fire-risk days and pinpoint the location and timing of the most dangerous conditions. The information is vital to predicting fire movement and growth, which informs safety messaging to the community. Outside the fire season this information helps identify windows of opportunity for prescribed burning, supporting year-round risk management.

The Next Generation Forecast and Warning System, displayed here in MetEye, showing wind speed and direction for South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Enabling pilots to steer clear of volcanic ash

Ash ejected high into the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions presents a serious safety risk for aviation. If ingested into jet engines it can cause serious damage and even power failure. The Bureau of Meteorology operates one of the world's nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, which provide pilots with real-time information on volcanic ash hazards. The Bureau reports on possible and active eruptions and the distribution and movement of volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Qantas pilots use the Bureau's volcanic ash advisories to navigate safe routes through the Asia–Pacific region, where there are more than 150 active volcanoes.

Indonesia's Sangeang Api erupted in June 2014. Domestic and
international flights from Darwin were grounded until conditions were safe to fly.
Image: Sofyan Effendi, Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Enabling safer medical missions

Pilots at Australian Helicopters use specialised aviation weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology to guide their operations throughout South Australia. With vast distances to cover and few landmarks to help with visual navigation, accurate weather information is particularly vital in outback regions. Bureau forecasters assist pilots in their detailed flight planning by providing tailored phone briefings and forecasts for remote destinations. This enables Australian Helicopters to plan safer routes and make 'go or no-go' decisions for their emergency medical flights.

Aviation company Australian Helicopters relies on specialised
weather forecasts for its emergency medical flights.
Photo: Andrew Taylor

Providing a national view of groundwater resources

As the Australian population and economy has grown, so has the demand for water. Because access to surface water has been constrained, an increasing demand has been placed on groundwater reserves. Recent national water reforms identified the need to improve basin water planning, particularly for the sustainable use of groundwater. Previously there was no consistent national view of groundwater systems and aquifer characteristics, with each State and Territory adopting its own classification scheme. The Bureau of Meteorology's Australian Groundwater Explorer now provides a consistent, detailed picture of the nation's groundwater resources. This is particularly useful for groundwater systems that traverse jurisdictional boundaries.

The Australian Groundwater Explorer enables the visualisation,
analysis and downloading of groundwater information.

Supporting operations in Antarctica

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) operates a significant ongoing scientific research campaign in Antarctica that requires complex logistical support. This involves regular shipping, boating, aviation and overland movements that are subject to considerable weather hazards. Operations on the icy continent can be hampered for days by harsh weather conditions, including poor visibility, extreme cold and high wind speeds. To operate safely, Antarctic expeditioners rely on specialised weather observations and forecasts provided by the Bureau of Meteorology. Support is provided 24/7 by Bureau weather observers and forecasters based at three Australian bases in Antarctica and by our specialist Antarctic meteorology team, based in Hobart.

Wilkins ice runway near Casey station,
Antarctica, with the AAD's Airbus 319
and specialised vehicles.

Supporting shipping with tide predictions

Safe access of shipping to ports is governed by the height and timing of the local tides. The Royal Australian Navy Hydrographer, the International Hydrographic Commission and the International Maritime Organization all require tide predictions to be provided for Australian ports in order to allow international shipping activity there. The Bureau of Meteorology's Tide Prediction Service provides tidal predictions for more than 700 locations around Australia. Ports Australia's 24 port and maritime authority members use this information to ensure safe, efficient commercial operations at Australia's major and secondary ports.

Tide predictions are made by the Bureau of Meteorology for
locations around Australia using tidal data collected by the
Bureau and port and maritime authorities.

Alerting the community to tsunami threat

In response to the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the Australian Government commissioned the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC). Operated by the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia, JATWC provides warnings to the Australian community within 30 minutes of an undersea earthquake. The emergency operations team at the Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services use these warnings to prepare for and respond to any tsunami threat to Western Australia's coast. If an earthquake were to cause a tsunami the team stands ready to activate their tsunami-response plans.

Deep-ocean tsunami detection buoys
are a vital part of the Australian tsunami
warning service.