WA upgrades coastal weather radar
Weather monitoring services will be upgraded by the WA Government and Bureau of Meteorology at Albany and Geraldton.
A Doppler radar will be installed to replace the existing system at the Esperance weather station.
The government’s $5 million coastal investment complements a $23 million investment to provide Doppler radar coverage across the grainbelt.
“The Doppler radar coverage, combined with data from the Department of Agriculture and Food’s network of 175 weather stations, will provide agricultural producers with the most comprehensive weather network in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Mark Lewis, Agriculture and Food Minister.
“The radars generate valuable data on rainfall intensity and a map of wind speed towards or away from the radar, updated every six minutes on the bureau’s and the department’s websites, which will assist crucial farm management decisions, saving businesses time and money.”
The department is also working on integrating the Doppler radar information into new technology and applications that will enable agribusinesses to boost productive capacity.
The state’s previous investment in Doppler radar coverage, through Royalties for Regions, included the new Newdegate site and another at South Doodlakine that will be operational by early March 2017. Construction of another new facility at Watheroo has commenced, with the radar due to be operational in April 2017. All three Doppler radars will be fully operational and ready for the 2017 growing season.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said the Doppler radar coverage would also boost the emergency response capacity of regional communities.
“Radar coverage will provide invaluable information to emergency services, especially when confronted with severe bushfires or impending storms, when real-time data is crucial to response strategies,” said Redman.
The coastal Doppler radar upgrades are expected to be operational in 2019.
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