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ABC News
20-07-2025
- 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 "Before … it took a long time to do, so much so that the forecasts, for example, that the bureau put out are already out of date before you receive them because it takes them so long to process that data.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."
ABC News
28-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Rain-shadow effect inspires Mareeba's claim to 300 sunny days a year
Far North Queensland may be renowned for its rainforests, monsoons and cyclones, but nestled in heart of the wet tropics one town claims to be a literal ray of sunshine. Proudly boasting 300 sunny days a year, Mareeba, near the Atherton Tablelands on the range west of Cairns, is just 180 kilometres north of Australia's wettest town, Tully. But while Mareeba is known for its clear days, whether or not the marketing matches the weather records is more cloudy. The Bureau of Meteorology's Livio Regano said Mareeba did have a drier climate compared to other parts of the region, due to a "rain-shadow" effect. "It just means that if you're behind a big range and the eastern side catches the moisture, most of the rain falls on that side and by the time the air comes over the other side, it's already dried out a bit," Mr Regano said. "The moisture has been rung out on the eastern side like a wet sponge getting squeezed and there's nothing left in it. "On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, you're in a rain shadow, and that includes most of the Atherton Tablelands." While it makes for a pleasant climate, Mr Regano said the "300 days of sun" claim was harder to substantiate. To accurately measure sunshine statistics, a sunshine recorder is needed. Mareeba does not have one. But there is a weather station at the airport, which has recorded an average 86 clear days, and 95 cloudy days per year. "That nowhere near adds up to 300 sunny days a year, unless your definition of sunshine is that the sun pokes through the cloud, at least for one minute every day," Mr Regano said. When comparing the days of sun in Mareeba to other towns and cities in different parts of Australia, it doesn't quite make the leaderboard. "It's not comparable with what they have, for example, in the Burdekin and around Townsville — you know the Townsville Dome as we all call it," he said. Gaining traction in the 1990s, the tagline "300 sunny days a year" became popular as the once-thriving tobacco industry declined, and Mareeba sought a fresh identity. Rochelle Harding from the Mareeba Shire Council, which erected a sign with the slogan, said the sunny weather had proven to be one of the town's greatest assets, especially for tourism. "It's an ideal location for recreational flyers with access to the Mareeba Airport and for hot air ballooning," she said. "Mountain bikers, hikers and campers benefit from the reliable weather, with easier access to outback stations and trails. "Mareeba's climate also attracts grey nomads, who enjoy the warm, dry conditions while camping and exploring the region at their leisure." The official records are one thing, but for Peter Howe from Rock Ridge Farming, the proof is in the avocados and bananas he grows in both Mareeba and the Atherton Tablelands. He said although his blocks were relatively close in proximity, he noticed the difference in production and climate. "We've got we got ladyfingers [bananas] down at Mareeba and in Atherton, and there's a about a four-week delay on the ones in Atherton coming in versus Mareeba," he said. Mr Howe said picking bananas was also more efficient in sunny conditions, and bigger bunches were produced. "You just need sunshine to make everything grow and perform," he said.
E&E News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- E&E News
Climate change fueled May's record-breaking Arctic heat
Temperatures in Ittoqqortoormiit, a tiny town on Greenland's eastern coast, typically hover just above freezing in the month of May. But on May 19, the weather station there documented an eye-popping 57.7 degrees Fahrenheit, a monthly record. Nearby Iceland was also roasting. Just days earlier, on May 15, Egilsstaðir Airport observed a new national record temperature for the month of May when thermometers jumped to 79.9 F. The astonishing heat wave sent temperatures skyrocketing throughout the region for more than a week, rising more than 18 F above their usual levels in some places. Melting on the Greenland ice sheet rose to 17 times its normal rate. Asphalt in Iceland, designed for cooler weather, softened in the heat. Advertisement And climate change is to blame, scientists say.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
First 30-degree temperatures of 2025 recorded in the Maritimes
A ridge of very warm air that built out of the southern United States sent temperatures soaring on Wednesday in parts of the Maritimes. A number of locations in northern New Brunswick had their first 30-degree temperatures of 2025. At Environment Canada monitored weather stations, 30 degrees was reach in Edmundston, Bathurst, and Miramichi. All those sites are also setting new daily high temperature records for a May 14. Viewers – such as Marjorie Ferguson from Flatlands, N.B. – sent in personal weather station measurements of 30 degrees. Thank you to those who take time to e-mail a report or observation of weather in their area. Many other high temperatures in New Brunswick reached the mid-to-high 20s on Wednesday. High temperatures in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island climbed into the high teens and low 20s, but remaining more moderate on parts of the coast. Thursday Weather Very warm, even hot for some areas, May weather across the region on Thursday. The ridge is squarely over the region on Thursday. A very warm to hot day should be expected region wide, except for the Bay of Fundy coastline in New Brunswick and the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia. For those coastal areas a southwest wind is expected to be more onshore and will moderate the temperatures. Expect widespread high temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s on Thursday. Some reaching the high 20s, with the odd community in northern New Brunswick nearing 30. It is possible we could see further new daily high temperature records set. Thunderstorm outlook Isolated showers and thunderstorms develop in northern New Brunswick Thursday afternoon and evening. The building heat will come with a risk of thunderstorms in northern New Brunswick Thursday. The period of risk extending from the afternoon through the evening. Watch for showers with a chance of developing into small thunderstorms beginning between 2 and 4 PM. By 9 PM any thunderstorms that developed will likely be weakening and dissipating back into showers. Temperatures in the region are forecast to cool Friday and the weekend.
