BOM’s Next Generation Forecast and Warning System
The “Next Generation Forecast and Warning System” is underpinned by a set of forecast weather element grids, quality controlled by forecasters, for time intervals out to 7 days ahead. Each weather element, for each time, is stored in the Australian Digital Forecast Database on a high-resolution 6 kilometre by 6 kilometre square grid and maps are generated for display in the new Forecast Explorer web interface. The first state to use this system is Victoria’, where the Bureau has been operating and evaluating a demonstration weather forecasting system since October 2008. The government, in its 2009/10 budget has announced funding of $30.5 million over five years to roll this revolutionary system out across all states in Australia.