New weather radar to benefit forecasters
New weather radar to benefit forecasters
29 April 2012
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — Tasmania’s fire service says it will better be able to warn communities of approaching bushfires thanks to a new weather radar that can detect wind changes.
A federally funded weather radar has been constructed at Mount Koonya on the Tasman Peninsula.
It can detect rainfall as far away as the West Coast and can also provide information about wind conditions.
Andrew McGuiness, from the Tasmania Fire Service, says wind speed and direction can have a big influence on a bush fire.
“They can turn a fairly narrow fire front into a fairly large and wide fire front that can impact on huge parts of the community very quickly.
“So to be able to accurately predict when a wind change is going to occur allows us to pre warn the community.”
