Flooding events during January and the impacts of COVID-19 have delayed the delivery of the new Taroom region weather radar.
While work on the radar is progressing well, its completion date and go live is now expected in April 2022.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Chief Customer Officer, Dr Peter Stone, said the weather radar’s construction was a priority and the Bureau was working hard on its delivery.
“The Bureau understands the critical role that radars play in providing communities, particularly primary producers, with situational awareness of current weather,” he said.
The project timeline has been impacted by COVID-related travel restrictions and contractor availability, and the site, which is located 12 km south-east of Taroom, was affected by two weeks of rain and flooding, which halted works at the site in January.
“These delays have pushed the delivery timeline out by two months, from February to April but we are back on site, the tower has been installed and we are working as rapidly as possible to ensure the radar is delivered as soon as possible.”
When it goes live on the Bureau’s website and BOM Weather app, the Taroom radar will draw on dual-polarised Doppler technology, which is one of the best tools for observing real-time rainfall and wind conditions across large areas.
The radar will provide improved coverage across the?
