Weather Observing Program
The real-time observations from the automatic instruments at Truganina Weather are routinely provided to numerous third parties. We also take two manual observations each day, one in the morning and one in the evening, using both the automatic and manual instruments. We are a registered Storm Spotter for the BoM and report incidents of severe weather caused by thunderstorms.
All significant disruptions to the normal observing program, not including problems experienced by third parties, are recorded in our PWS Operations Log.
Real-Time Observations
The real-time observations from the automatic instruments are submitted about every 5 minutes to these national and international weather exchange networks:
- Weather Observation Website (WOW)
- Weather Underground (WU)
- Australian Weather Network (AUWN)
- Citizen Weather Observing Program (CWOP)
- Automatic Weather Map System (AWEKAS)
- PWS Weather
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Standard Observing Practice
To be consistent with standard BoM practice the meteorological day ends at 9.00 am, the exception is significant weather phenomena which ends at midnight:
- Rainfall is the total in the 24 hours ending at 9:00 am. A significant proportion may have fallen prior to midnight.
- Maximum temperature is the highest temperature in the 24 hours beginning at 9:00 am. This will usually occur during that afternoon to early evening.
- Minimum temperature is the lowest temperature in the 24 hours ending at 9:00 am. This will usually occur during the early hours of that morning.
- Significant weather phenomena is the occurrence of either thunder, lightning, hail, fog or frost in the 24 hours ending at midnight.
Our morning observation is nominally taken at 9.00 am and involves manually recording:
- the 24 hour rainfall (for today) from the manual instruments,
- the 24 hour maximum temperature (for yesterday) from the automatic instruments,
- the 24 hour minimum temperature (for today) from the automatic instruments,
- the 24 hour rainfall from the automatic instrument to compare against the manual instrument,
- the minimum temperature after midnight (for today) from the automatic instruments,
- the minimum temperatures from the manual instruments to compare against the automatic instruments, and
- the significant weather phenomena prior to midnight (for yesterday).
Our evening observation is nominally taken at 6.00 pm and involves manually recording:
- the provisional maximum temperature since 9.00 am from the automatic instrument, and
- the air pressure from the automatic and manual instruments to compare against the BoM AWS at Laverton.
Note: The mercury-in-glass maximum thermometer was accidentally broken during 2021, thus ending the ongoing maximum temperature comparison at 9.00 am between the automatic and manual instruments. Both sets of instruments had previously given almost identical results.
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Storm Spotter
Truganina Weather is a registered volunteer Storm Spotter for the BoM. The Storm Spotter Network is an important component of the Severe Thunderstorm Warning Service provided by the BoM.
Storm Spotters provide "on-the-spot" reports if any of the following are observed:
- large hail (2 cm in diameter or greater);
- wind gusts (90 km/h 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 and accounts for a large proportion of severe weather reports received by the BoM. The timely information helps forecasters to prepare and update severe weather warnings and also impacts on Australian research into severe thunderstorms by providing a better picture of the frequency and distribution of violent storms.
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Community Rainfall Reader
Truganina Weather is part of a network of more than 350 volunteer community rainfall readers that record daily rainfall for Melbourne Water.
Melbourne Water uses these volunteer records plus data from its own network of electronic rain gauges 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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