Western Australia Minister for Agriculture and Food Alannah MacTiernan

Coastal Radar Upgrade To Make Western Australia’s Weather Service Nation’s Best

Victor P Taffa

• $4.6 Million to upgrade Western Australia’s coastal radar network to Doppler capability
• Enhanced weather data to boost agribusiness capacity and emergency services in the regions

Works are about to commence to upgrade the State’s coastal radar network to make Western Australia’s weather monitoring service the best in Australia.

McGowan Government has committed $4.6 Million to upgrade the Bureau of Meteorology’s Albany and Geraldton facilities to Doppler capability, providing more accurate and credible weather information for farmers.

“Coastal radar upgrade will complement the State’s investment in the Newdegate, South Doodlakine and Watheroo Doppler installations to provide regional businesses and residents with a first-rate weather service that will help boost productivity and profitability.” Minister for Agriculture and Food Alannah MacTiernan said.

“Enhanced coastal coverage will also provide invaluable information to emergency services, which will aid response strategies to severe storms, bushfires and land and sea rescues.”

Improvements will generate valuable data on rainfall intensity and wind speed and direction, updated every 6 minutes on the Bureau’s and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s websites.

Western Australia will have almost complete Doppler radar coverage across the agricultural regions when the upgrade is finished and the Bureau of Meteorology completes its planned Doppler upgrade to its Esperance facility.

Enhanced radar service, together with the department’s network of 175 weather stations, will enable agribusinesses to make more informed, data driven decisions while also providing crucial real time information to emergency services.