New meteorology office for Geraldton
18/01/2012
A new purpose built Bureau of Meteorology weather observation office has been opened today in Geraldton.
The $3.3 million Geraldton office was part of a total investment of $34 million to upgrade 12 of the Bureau’s oldest meteorological offices.
Through the program a number of offices in Western Australia have been earmarked for upgrade with Broome, Esperence and Port Hedland completed, and Albany, Carnarvon and Halls Creek to follow.
The Bureau’s field offices support weather forecasting services for the community and closer links with local emergency services. This information is also vital for people employed in the marine, aviation and resources industries.
The Geraldton office is staffed by three people and operates seven days a week. Three hydrogen filled weather balloons are released each day and tracked by the 22m radar attached to the office.
In addition to upper air monitoring activities, the observer’s duties include preparing aviation weather reports every half hour, as well as full synoptic observations every three hours and responding to media and public enquiries.
Western Australia Regional Director, Mr Mike Bergin, said the Geraldton area was not immune to tropical cyclones, although less common than along Western Australia’s Pilbara coast, which was the most active region for cyclones in Australia.
"Based on the historical data the Bureau has collected, we might expect to see a cyclone affect Geraldton every six to eight years. Remarkably, last year saw tropical cyclone Bianca track almost as far south as Perth, before being downgraded to a tropical low," said Mr Bergin.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall observations in Geraldton date as far back as 1877. In 1941 the Geraldton Airport Meteorological Office was established to service the RAAF Flying School which trained pilots and navigators for service during World War II.
The office has been relocated several times due to the expansion of aviation services in Geraldton, with the new office replaces one built in the early 1960s. The new facility has been designed to be environmentally sustainable and withstand extreme weather conditions in the country’s west.
To view the radar loop for the region go to: Geraldton radar
