Weather Observing Program
This page describes our standard operating procedures to meet the requirements of our daily and monthly reporting, long-term statistics and routine performance monitoring. It should be viewed in conjunction with our station metadata and quality assurance for a complete overview of our operations.
We are a registered volunteer Storm Spotter for the BoM and a volunteer Community Rainfall Reader for Melbourne Water, and share our AWS data with many weather exchange networks.
Standard Operating Procedures
The morning observation is nominally taken at 9.00 am to coincide with the start of the meteorological day in Australia for most elements, and involves:
- recording the 24 hour rainfall from the standard rain gauge against the current day,
- recording the 24 hour maximum temperature from the AWS against the previous day,
- recording the 24 hour minimum temperature from the AWS against the current day,
- recording the minimum temperature after midnight from the AWS against the current day,
- recording the significant weather phenomena in the 24 hours to midnight against the previous calendar day.
- recording the 24 hour rainfall from the AWS to compare against the standard rain gauge, and
- recording the 24 hour maximum and minimum temperatures from the digital max/min screen thermometer to compare against the AWS,
The evening observation is nominally taken at 6.00 pm and involves:
- recording the provisional maximum temperature from the AWS against the current day,
- recording the provisional maximum temperature from the digital max/min screen thermometer to compare against the AWS, and
- recording the mean sea level pressure from the AWS and marine aneroid barometer to compare against the BoM AWS at Laverton.
Weather Exchange Networks
The AWS data are shared with these national and international weather exchange networks:
Volunteer Programs
Storm Spotter
Storm Spotters provide "on-the-spot" reports if any of the following are observed during a severe thunderstorm:
- large hail (2 cm in diameter or greater);
- wind gusts (90 kph or greater);
- tornadoes; or
- heavy rainfall conducive to flash flooding.
Established in 1989, the Storm Spotter Network is based on similar networks implemented in Canada and the United States of America. The Storm Spotter Network is an important component of the Severe Thunderstorm Warning Service provided by the BoM, with the timely information helping forecasters to prepare and update severe weather warnings. It also impacts on Australian research into severe thunderstorms by providing a better picture of the frequency and distribution of violent storms.
Rainfall Reader
The network of community rainfall readers comprises more than 350 volunteers who record daily rainfall for Melbourne Water. These records plus data from its own network of electronic rain gauges combine to help understand rainfall patterns across Melbourne, especially after heavy storms, to plan their works. The combined data also helps Melbourne Water to plan responses to droughts and floods, and to make sure that rivers and creeks have enough water to support local wildlife.
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