FORECASTING WEATHER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1346, 25 January 1912, Page 4

FORECASTING WEATHER.

THE SYSTEM IN AUSTRALIA. The Rev. D. C. Bates, Govwnnient Meteorologist, arrived back from a visit to Australia lijr the Jloeraki yesterday. His three weeks' holiday he nut to most profitable use by making full inspection and inquiry into the method's of working adopted by the Commonwealth Meteoroloprie.ll Department. "On reaching Sydney I found that the Sydney Observatory was only a branch of the Department, presided over by Mi , . Stuart Wilson, who kindly showed mo the working methods adopted not only in weather forecasting, but in elimntological work. When 1 went to Melbourne I met Mr. 11. A. Hunt, the Commonwealth meteorologist, who presides over that branch of the service for the whole of Australia. To do this ho has a. staff of 40 at headquarters, who will continue to carry out the work there until the Federal cnpital is established. 1 was shown Iho whole of the equipment both for meteorological nnd cliinatological work, nnd aim went into the methods of working. In forecasting weather they work on much the siuno plan' as I do, but they aro not so circumscribed in their work. There are plenty of them to do it. ami they work on broader Knew. For instance, in making the general daily forecast for the whole of the plates five skilled meteorologist.': meet in conference- at noon encli day, and ns the result of their deliberations, based on calculations and itports, they issue iho forecast for the next 21 hours. Then in each State there is a Divisional Officor, who lias the power to Tiiodify or alter Hie headquarters' forecast, if the local date, warrant it. The annual vote for instruments alone is ,IMOOO, so th.it I hey nre in a position to keep right iip-to-dnte in apparatus. Climatology is the nil-important tliiiiir in j Australia, and a grc.it deal of .illeiilion is given if owing to the. rainfall boinn such an important desideratum. They publish a great deal of information, too of vain" to the man on the land. Fach uo«f office iii the country has a. clmrt in which the doily, moivilily, and annual mnifnll of the nfcice is set out. Then Iho Divisional Officers prepare uieteorolo•ricil charts which aro published in the dailv papers. Of cour»o w>o, ? (> nianv workinir in such a fruitful field there is much to be lmriwl. but Iheir work is nroally. simplified by (he big land areas thf.v cover, instead of having. n.« in our emp vast OP'a'i "xpnnw mi cither hand. \ViHes< will h«tn u= in the future.

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