Data Processing and Visualisation of Climate Data and Extremes in Australia

As Australia’s climate has changed, so too has the demand for climate information and services. Australia has experienced an increase in the frequency and magnitude of climate extremes, which has tested the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's capacity to provide timely and complete weather and climate information to the public and stakeholders.  Additionally, public awareness around climate change has raised expectations that frontline weather forecasters are able to provide and communicate the climatological context around extreme weather as it occurs.  In response to these changes, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has been developing new systems to deliver climate information.

The Climate Monitor was developed as a tool within the BoM to provide data and information that supports a more rapid response to information requests. By providing near-real-time visualisations of current conditions and putting those observations in a historical context, it assists with the assessment of events as they unfold. The tool includes a data API and increases the automation of basic climate analysis, improves internal consistency of data processing and improves the traceability of data flows. The Climate Monitor has also been designed to provide a scientifically rigorous and technically robust core for the potential future development of an improved Climate Extremes Service for the general public.

While the Climate Monitor focusses on station-based data, a separate Climate Analyser tool provides a common user interface to an array of gridded datasets and analyses. The Climate Analyser combines all the functionality of various older mapping tools within a single command language that can be accessed via a web interface or on the command line. The Climate Analyser’s functions include mapping, time series generation, time series analysis, grid averaging, and a range of other calculations on gridded datasets.

Both the Climate Monitor and Climate Analyser are now in regular, daily use, providing intelligence to assist in the preparation of scheduled operational reports, Special Climate Statements during significant weather and climate events, and to respond to enquiries from the media and general public.

This presentation will provide a background on the Climate Monitoring and Prediction services at the BoM and discuss the development and features of the new Climate Monitor and Climate Analyser tools. Recent significant climatic events will be discussed as they demonstrate how contextual information can be used to augment traditional meteorological services.