Weather Observing Program

This page describes our standard operating procedure, which covers the requirements of our daily and monthly reporting, long-term statistics and routine performance monitoring. The page also highlights the volunteer weather networks where we routinely submit our AWS data. We are a registered volunteer Storm Spotter for the BoM, and as a volunteer Community Rainfall Reader for Melbourne Water.

This page should be viewed in conjunction with our station metadata and quality assurance for a complete overview of our standard operations.

Standard Operating Procedure

weather observer reading the screen instrumentsThe morning observation is nominally taken at 9.00 am, the start of the meteorological day for most elements, and involves recording:

The evening observation is nominally taken at 6.00 pm and involves recording:

Volunteer Weather Networks

We supply AWS data every 5 minutes to these national and international volunteer weather networks:

volunteer weather network - Weather Observations Website volunteer weather network - Weather Underground
volunteer weather network - Australian Weather Network volunteer weather network - Citizen Weather Observing Program volunteer weather network - Automatic Weather Map System volunteer weather network - PWS Weather volunteer weather network - Weathercloud

Volunteer Programs

Storm Spotter

Storm Spotters provide "on-the-spot" reports if any of the following are observed during a severe thunderstorm:

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.

Bureau of Meteorology Storm Spotter logoCommunity Rainfall Reader

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