Latest news with #BOM
West Australian
5 hours ago
- Climate
- West Australian
WA weather: BOM issues wind, fire and farmer warnings as blustery winds and heavy rainfall expected
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple weather warnings as West Aussies prepare for blustery winds and heavy downpours on Wednesday and Thursday. The wind warning issued on Wednesday continue into Thursday, with a gale warning for Esperance Coast and Eucla Coast. There is also a strong marine wind warning for most of WA, covering the following coasts: Pilbara West, Ningaloo, Gascoyne, Geraldton, Lancelin, Perth, Bunbury Geographe, Leeuwin and Albany. The strong winds have also led to a fire warning for Thursday in the central interior region of WA; this is due to dry and windy conditions that are forecast to develop during Thursday ahead of a strong cold front crossing the Central Interior district in the evening. BOM also issued a warning to sheep graziers on Wednesday afternoon, alerting farmers that cold temperatures, rain and showers and southwesterly winds are expected during Wednesday and Thursday, which poses the risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Lower West, South Coastal, South East Coastal and Great Southern forecast districts. In Perth, there's a very high chance of showers on Wednesday evening and winds are expected to be northwesterly at 15 to 25 km/h turning west to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the evening. On Thursday, there is also a very high chance of showers in Perth, with possible hail throughout the day and a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Thursday — Min 5, Max 14 — Showers. Friday — Min 3, Max 15 — Mostly sunny. Saturday — Min 4, Max 16 — Partly cloudy. Sunday — Min 6, Max 14 — Showers. Monday — Min 5, Max 15 — Shower or two. Tuesday — Min 5, Max 17 — Partly cloudy. Wednesday — Min 5, Max 19 — Sunny.
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Wild WA weather expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple weather warnings as West Aussies prepare for blustery winds and heavy downpours on Wednesday and Thursday. The wind warning issued on Wednesday continue into Thursday, with a gale warning for Esperance Coast and Eucla Coast. There is also a strong marine wind warning for most of WA, covering the following coasts: Pilbara West, Ningaloo, Gascoyne, Geraldton, Lancelin, Perth, Bunbury Geographe, Leeuwin and Albany. The strong winds have also led to a fire warning for Thursday in the central interior region of WA; this is due to dry and windy conditions that are forecast to develop during Thursday ahead of a strong cold front crossing the Central Interior district in the evening. BOM also issued a warning to sheep graziers on Wednesday afternoon, alerting farmers that cold temperatures, rain and showers and southwesterly winds are expected during Wednesday and Thursday, which poses the risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Lower West, South Coastal, South East Coastal and Great Southern forecast districts. In Perth, there's a very high chance of showers on Wednesday evening and winds are expected to be northwesterly at 15 to 25 km/h turning west to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the evening. On Thursday, there is also a very high chance of showers in Perth, with possible hail throughout the day and a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Thursday — Min 5, Max 14 — Showers. Friday — Min 3, Max 15 — Mostly sunny. Saturday — Min 4, Max 16 — Partly cloudy. Sunday — Min 6, Max 14 — Showers. Monday — Min 5, Max 15 — Shower or two. Tuesday — Min 5, Max 17 — Partly cloudy. Wednesday — Min 5, Max 19 — Sunny.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Mansfield installs weather station to bypass unreliable BOM forecasts
A new weather station at Mansfield in north-east Victoria could close a critical forecasting gap, offering residents more accurate data for the first time. Mansfield Shire Council Mayor Steve Rabie, who has lived in the region since 1983, said the council-operated station would provide an invaluable service to the community. Mansfield's position in the foothills of the Victorian Alps and its proximity to the Great Dividing Range have made weather forecasting in the region a challenge. Residents have had to rely on data from the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) closest station at the Eildon Fire Tower, about 28 kilometres away and at a significantly different altitude, making weather reports notoriously unreliable. The gap was highlighted when a storm cell tore through the area in August last year, and the bureau had to rely on readings from the Eildon station and satellite imagery to confirm that the storm was, in fact, a tornado. "Having our own dedicated station means our farmers, event organisers, sporting clubs, and residents can access real-time data and forecasts that are truly local," Cr Rabie said. The new solar-powered station is equipped with sensors measuring wind direction and speed, rainfall, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and UV radiation. To make the data publicly accessible, Mansfield Shire Council launched a local weather webpage providing real-time conditions, daily summaries and historical data. It also offers eight-day forecasts, using an artificial intelligence system developed by meteorologist and TV weather presenter Jane Bunn. Ms Bunn said the system used information from a variety of sources to provide more accurate forecasts. "It's really important to make sure you are … not putting all your eggs in the one wet basket, so to speak," she said. "By using AI, it enables us to do that in a much better way. "Before … it took a long time to do, so much so that the forecasts, for example, that the bureau put out are already out of date before you receive them because it takes them so long to process that data. "What we can do with machine learning and AI is speed up that process really considerably." Mansfield Farmers' Market organiser Alli Walker welcomed the development. Mansfield farmer Tony Tehan pushed to get a station set up in town for years and reached out to both the council and the BOM about it. He said it had been very frustrating. "I got sick of getting forecasts from Eildon, which is 20 or 30 kilometres away from Mansfield," Mr Tehan said. He said more accurate weather data would help him plan when to spray crops and put down fertiliser. "If it's too hot or too cold the sprays do not operate efficiently," Mr Tehan said. "It's [also] good to know what the 24-hour rainfall is. It affects runoff into dams and all that sort of thing. Despite the BOM being unable to integrate third-party stations into its network, Cr Rabie said the new local service would complement the broader-scale work of the bureau. Mansfield is not the only regional community stepping up when official services fall short. Independent, smaller weather stations are becoming a viable option for regional councils, filling gaps the BOM is unable to reach. Last year, a resident in Gracetown, Western Australia, built a weather station to deliver more accurate reports tailored to the town. A BOM spokesperson said the bureau could not comment on third-party services, but worked with all levels of government to provide weather advice "in the lead-up to or during severe weather". "The bureau carefully considers the latest observations and model guidance to provide products and information that support the community to prepare and respond to hazardous weather events," the spokesperson said. "Communities are advised to stay up to date with the bureau's forecasts and warnings via our website and the BOM Weather app and to always follow the advice of emergency services."
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Millions of Aussies brace for icy blast
Australians living in the nation's south are being warning to brace for chilly conditions through the weekend as a cold front develops off the Great Australian Bight. The Bureau of Metereology's Angus Hines said Tasmania 'will certainly cop the brunt of that weather system' on Saturday with a 'glancing blow' for parts of South Australia and Victoria. Bureau of Meterologies Angus Hines warned of a cold front developing off the south coast of Australia through the weekend Weatherzone Credit: Supplied The BOM has issued a weather warning for strong winds for people in King Island, Furneaux Islands, Western, Upper Derwent Valley, South East, North East, East Coast, North West Coast, Central North, Central Plateau and Midlands Forecast Districts. Residents in Hobart will see a high of 14C but the temperature will feel much lower due to strong winds and rains sweeping across the state over the course of the day. Into Sunday, however, those in Western Australia's south and around Perth are expected to be hit with the most severe conditions as the system develops. 'This cold front is going to bring a lot of wind, really strong windy conditions, a solid band of rain and the potential for thunderstorms, and I think there's quite a high chance we'll see some severe weather warnings get issued as we get a little bit closer to this front arriving,' Mr Hines said. Tasmania and Perth are among the areas predicted to be most affected. Windy Credit: Supplied 'If you're in Perth or surrounding areas keep your eye on the severe weather tab on the BOM website through the course of the weekend to see what could happen.' A strong wind warning was issued for parts of South Australia including the Lower West Coast, Central Coast, South Central Coast, Investigator Strait and Upper South East Coast. Sheep graziers in the were also warned that cold temperatures, showers and northerly winds are expected during Saturday. Areas likely to be affected include parts of the Upper South East forecast district. With a risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions. Mr Hines said away from the south west Sunday is likely to be 'another fairly settled day for the remainder of the country'. Weekend weather across the country Clear skies are expected along the east coast from northern Queensland down to Victoria, despite chilly and frosty starts to the morning. In the capital cities Canberra will experience a freezing start, dipping to -5C, before a partly cloudy day helps temperatures climb to a mild 15C. Darwin will remain warm and sunny, with a low of 19C and a high of 31C. Brisbane will see similar conditions, reaching a high of 22C after a low of 11C. Sydney will start off cold at 8°C but gradually warm to a pleasant 19C. Melbourne residents should bundle up, with a chilly low of 6C and a top of just 15C. Adelaide will experience comparable conditions, ranging from a low of 9C to a high of 16C.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Why is Bluff Knoll Western Australia's only 'reliable' spot to see snowfall?
Western Australia is renowned for its beaches and summer heat, so it may come as a surprise to some that it snows there most years. The only place to record regular snow falls is Bluff Knoll, the 1,099-metre peak in the Stirling Ranges, about 400 kilometres south of Perth. While it is not the state's highest peak (that honour goes to Mount Meharry, 1,600km north in the Pilbara's Hamersley Ranges), it is certainly the state's most popular with visitors, attracting tens of thousands of hikers each year. And the prospect of a small flurry of snow is enough to send plenty dashing to the top, often in freezing conditions. Forecasters are predicting that conditions on Monday morning may be suitable for a light dusting. Falls have historically been recorded across large parts of the south of the state and even in the Perth hills, and as far north as Geraldton. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Jessica Lingard said cold temperatures at the top of Bluff Knoll were key to creating the right mix for snow flurries. The most likely time to see snow was after a significant cold front had come through, Ms Lingard said. "We've got that really nice cold air originating from well south of the continent, it's called the cold pool. "That sits behind the cold front and that's the typical time that we're going to see snow." Mount Toolbrunup is the second-highest peak in the Stirling Ranges, sitting about 1,050 metres high, but there is a much lower chance of snow there. "In that 40 or 50m difference [to Bluff Knoll], there can be a huge change in temperature profile," Ms Lingard said. Those who make it to the peak in the snow get automatic admittance to WA's only ski club. It was founded by John and Margot Byrne and a few locals excited about the snow. "We tell people you've got to touch the powder to become a member," Mr Byrne said. "One guy, he filled his thermos up with snow and he brought it back and he said, 'There you go. I'm a member.'" The club has its headquarters and a "ski lodge" at nearby Mount Trio Bush Camp and Caravan Park, with a handwritten snow file detailing the falls. The BOM has records of snow falling in WA as far back as 1864 and usually receives one to two reports of snow on Bluff Knoll each winter. There were six snow reports received in 2016, the highest number according to the bureau's records. The last year on record without a single report of snow is 2014. "There obviously have been years where we haven't had any reports, that's not to say that it didn't happen, it just means that nobody went up there and told us about it. "There have been a few more reports in recent decades than in history and I think that's probably to do with it being more heavily talked about. There's a lot of social media sharing and you get lots of people that do make that sort of pilgrimage to the top on these cold days." In 2019, a cold blast turned Bluff Knoll white on Good Friday. It was the first April snowfall in WA for 49 years. Snow was also recorded there as late as November in 1992. On June 26, 1956, snow was reported across the Wheatbelt, the Perth Hills and as far north as Geraldton, about 800km north of Albany. On that day, temperatures at Wongan Hills reached 6.3C and Perth recorded its coldest maximum of 8.8C. The last time snow was seen in the Perth Hills was in the 1960s. Ms Lingard said snow was seen now and again in Bridgetown in the South West, and also in Mount Barker in the Great Southern.
