The data driven Qld approach highlighting climate cycles contrasts starkly with WA Govt mantras never contradicted by the Perth BoM. WA Govt “watercrats” see SW WA rain in terms of “our drying climate”, “declining rainfall”, “rain has stopped falling” etc. and I am not aware the Perth BoM has ever spoken against this doomster view. Download the Queensland extended wet/dry period poster (1889-2017) (PDF) a foundation on which to learn more about Australian rainfall history. Large version graphic.
Fascinating that they attached no BoM logo when it is all original BoM data. Touching the forelock to the BoM surely would be “de rigueur” particularly for another branch of the public service using BoM data.
Beachgirl, I am sure you mean well but it is not all BOM data. Not sure who measures the pressure at Darwin which is available back to the 1850’s but BOM certainly does not measure the pressure at Tahiti. The Qld DES calculate the SOI. BOM may calculate the SOI separately but they do not present it as well. The IPO is measured elsewhere. The Qld DES have their own weather stations and pass on the data to BOM. I think there are two stations on the Sunshine Coast One I believe is the DPI/Daff at Nambour and the other I think is at Landsborough. Also I do not think they run the one at the Baroon Pocket Dam which has something to do with the Qld Water Authority.
Hey cementafriend I am thinking about the hundreds of long term rainfall stations all across Australia not just Queensland that would be essential for building their 1889-2017 contour maps. Those data would have been curated by BoM for ~110 years. Worth a mention.
Beachgirl, Post offices around Australia were collecting weather data before BOM was formed. Some Post Offices still provide data. I note that the Lighthouse at Gabo Island Vic. has provided data since 1864 (BOM site 084016). I would think all the lighthouses orginally came under a state government department. There are many private data collectors around Australia. On the Sunshine Coast it appears that the Nambour Bowling Club has been providing daily rainfall since 1896 (on BOM site 040157). More recently the Corbold Racing Club has been providing daily weather data.
Around where I live there are at least 5 private weather stations. You can find these on the www.wunderground.com They have an identifier IQLD or IVIC follow by three letters of a town or suburb and then a number. BOM, ABC etc do not take any notice of these except when it suits them for the “highest ever temperature” Some of these may not be very accurate or have been calibrated well but they do show trends.
Beachgirl Here is what you get if you search on say Fremantle Australia www.wunderground.com/weather/au/fremantle
All the nearby stations are listed at the bottom of the page. Then click on say Samson and you get www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IWASSAMS2 which gives the graphs being recorded on the actual private station. Then clicking on the map will give access to other nearby stations so that you can compare.
Do not know if there are BOM sites on this -if there are you can report them for poor data.
It shouts volumes cement that an informal association of citizens who paid for their own private weather stations can collectively contribute to www.wunderground.com – But the combined forces of the BoM, WA Dept of Water and Water Corporation, jointly or severally can not organize a few stations reliably reporting rain to the www from Perth dam catchments.
Not even close.