Hub
Weather & Environmental Conditions
National Centre for Outdoor Risk and Readiness
As humans we are dependent on our natural environment. It provides a vital space for us to develop as individuals and in groups, to sustain our health and well-being, and simply to find relaxation and enjoyment.
Climate change poses a significant risk to these critical experiences.
The National Centre for Outdoor Risk and Readiness is a collaborative initiative by Outward Bound Australia for outdoor practitioners across Australia to build capacity and capability to able to predict, prepare for, mitigate & respond to events, learn and adapt to be more resilient and safer in the face of a changing climate so that all Australians and visitors, wherever they live and whatever their age, ability and cultural background are able to enjoy and benefit from being in the outdoors and feel safe in doing so.
OUR GOAL
To improve outdoor professionals’ access, understanding and capacity to monitor and respond to weather and changing environmental conditions.
Outcomes
Because there is more support for effective practices and decision-making we see improvements in preparation for, & responsiveness to, weather and environmental conditions, so that risk & incidents reduce & clients have greater confidence.
DOWNLOADS
Outdoors NSW ACT Severe Weather Guidance Note (PDF)
For Outdoor Activities to prepare for Bushfire and Severe Weather Conditions
BOM Corporate Plan 2023-24 (PDF)
From the Bureau of Meteorology
BOM Annual Statement for 2023
Australia’s Annual Climate Statement for 2023
The State of Weather & Climate Extremes 2023 (PDF)
From the ARC Centre of Excellence
BOM: R&D Plan 2020 - 2030 (PDF)
Setting the direction for the Bureau’s investment in research and development over the next decade through 4 overarching objectives.
Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
Public Information & Warnings Handbook
Thunderstorm Asthma Information (PDF)
National Asthma Council Australia
Resource Links
RESOURCES
Bureau of Meteorology
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)
The Bureau’s work across all parts of Australia supports a wide variety of sectors, enabling a safe, prosperous, secure and healthy Australia.
BOM: Corporate Documents
Strategy, Plan, Budget Statements, Economic Impact, Performance, Annual Reports etc.
BOM My Climate View
Location based information on recent trends & long term projections
BOM Long Range Weather & Climate
Find statements, updates, forecasts, reports & summaries here.
BOM Climate Reports & Summaries
BOM Climate Reports & Summaries
BOM Recent & Past Climate
Eg: Last week’s/months/seasons rainfall
BOM Climate Outlooks
Weeks, months, seasons
BOM Explainer
How Meteorologists forecast the weather
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
Sharing an indigenous understanding of weather
BOM YouTube Channel
A bit of everything from the BOM
BOM Online Learning Module
Interpreting long range forecasts
RESOURCES
Forecasting Websites/Links
BOM MetEye
Your eye on the environment
Windy Weather
Weather radar, wind & waves forecast
Willy Weather
Weather radar, satellite images & synoptic charts
Weather Zone
7 day forecasts & weather radar
Elders Weather
State & regional weather forecasts, current conditions, BOM warnings & satellite animations
AccuWeather
Australian current weather
MeteoBlue
Live satellite & weather radar
WeatherWatch MetCentre
Detailed weather forecasting
YR
Hourly & long term weather & precipitation map
Predict Wind
Specialising in marine activities forecasting
Seabreeze Weather
Seabreeze is the #1 choice of Australian Kitesurfers, Stand Up Paddlers, Windsurfers, Foilers, Wind Wingers and Surfers/Longboarders
Windfinder
Worldwide wind and weather forecasts
Edgars / Meteologix
14 day forecast
Farmonline Weather
FarmOnline Weather provides weather forecasts, current conditions, weather radar and warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology and other sources for all states and territories in Australia.
OzForecast
Webcams, weather station observations, tides & weather forecasts for 15,000 Australian locations
Garmin Inreach World Weather
A simple, text-based, one message, world weather forecast service for Garmin Inreach devices (from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute).
Early Warning Network (EWN)
Multi-channel alert system
Weather Underground
Local & long range forecasts & conditions from private weather stations
Alert2Me (App)
Alerts to you, clear & simple
Surfline
All things surf all in one place
Tideschart
Provides high tides, low tides, tide charts, fishing time tide tables, water temperatures and weather forecasts around the world.
Tides Near Me
Current & forecasted tides
BeachWatch NSW
Water quality and coastal conditions information for NSW
Rain Alarm
Alerts you when rain is approaching – based on near real-time data.
Rain Parrot App
Know exactly when it’s going to rain
Blitzortung Live Lightning
See live lightning strikes across the planet
My Lightning Tracker
See lightning strikes in real time in Oceania
BOM Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
The Bureau of Meteorology provides warnings for severe weather and severe thunderstorms
BOM Tropical Cyclone Warning Service
Learn about the types of cyclone warnings that are issued by the Bureau & more.
Higgins Storm Chasing
Advanced weather service covering QLD, NSW & ACT
BOM Higgins Forecast
BOM Higgins Forecast
Tropical Tidbits Australia
Tropical Cyclone & Disturbance information
BOM Severe Weather Warning Service
Severe Weather Warnings are provided for potentially hazardous or dangerous weather that is not solely related to severe thunderstorms, tropical cyclones or bushfires.
Manly Hydraulics Lab – NSW
Water flow & quality, rainfall, ocean wave & tide info & barometric pressure
NSW State Seasonal Update
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Heatwave Service for Australia
From the BOM
Mountain Safety Collective
Daily backcountry conditions in Australian alpine areas
Snow Watch Australia
Australia’s premier snow forecasting site.
Mountain Weather Forecasts
Mountain weather forecasts at multiple elevations of the peaks in Australia.
Snow-Forecast
Snow forecast, weather maps & snow reports.
Mountainwatch
The definitive voice of the mountains
EPA Victoria
AirWatch – air quality data for Victoria
NSW Air Quality
NSW Government Air Quality information
IQAir
Air quality information for Australia
ACT Government Health
Air quality in the ACT – current & historical data
RESOURCES
Fire
Fire Weather Knowledge Centre
From the BOM
Fire Behaviour Index
From the BOM
Forest Fire Danger Index
From the CSIRO
Australian Fire Danger Rating System
From the National Council for Fire & Emergency Services Australia & NZ
Bushfire.io
The natural disaster map
Disaster Dashboards Australia
Real time feeds & alerts
Tasmania Government
TasALERT
DFES WA
Emergency WA
MyFireWatch
Bushfire map information for Australia
VicEmergency
Incidents & Emergencies
Country Fire Authority VIC
Warnings & Restrictions
QLD Government Bushfire Information
All the information you need from bushfire emergency warnings to bushfire preparedness.
QFES
Current Bushfire Warnings
NSW Government – Emergencies in NSW
Planning & recovery information for fires, floods & other emergencies in NSW
Hazards Near Me – NSW
NSW Rural Fire Service information
NSW Government – Rural Fire Service
Emergency Information
NSW Rural Fire Service
Fires Near Me
ACT Emergency Services Agency
Fire and other incident alerts
SA Country Fire Service
Incidents & Warnings
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
Public Warnings
Secure NT
Alerts & warnings
PFES Northern Territory
NT Fire Incident Map
Hotspot Fire Weather Information
Australian Government national fire information
NOBURN
NOBURN is an exciting national citizen science project that is helping us predict bushfires. Around the country, you can support NOBURN by recording fuel hazards with nothing more than a smartphone
Water
National Waterways Guide
River levels alphabetically and by sections
River Monitoring Stations in Western Australia
Kumina Water
DBCA WA
Waterway Health – Swan & Canning Riverpark
Murray-Darling Basin Water Information
Water information from BOM
Waterways Guide NSW & Paddle NSW
PaddleSafe App information
Water NSW
Safety tips for the great outdoors.
NSW WaterInsights
From Water NSW
Manly Hydraulics Laboratory NSW
Water flow, rainfall & water quality information (and much more) – NSW
Water NSW
Real time water data for NSW
Algal Alerts NSW
From Water NSW
BeachWatch NSW
Water quality & coastal conditions information
WikiRiver
Community-based guides, water levels, & maps of white-water rivers in Australia
RiverApp
The ideal app for paddlers, packrafters, anglers & anyone with river-related activities.
TidesChart
Australian tide times, tide charts and more.
South East QLD Recreational Water Quality Information
From SE QLD Water
QLD Department of Resources
Flood Check
QLD Government
Water monitoring & data
SAWater
River Murray information – water flow, levels, quality & more
South Australia Water Quality Alerts
From SA Health
TasALERT
Flooding information and much more
Tasmanian Hydro Managed Water Alerts
From Hydro Tasmania
ACT Government City Services
Water quality in our lakes, ponds and rivers
ACT National Capital Authority
Water quality information for Lake Burley-Griffin
Whitehorse Canoe Club
River level information & river maps created by the club
VicEmergency
Official emergency warnings & alerts for Victoria
Blue Green Algae Advice Victoria
From Water Vic
Paddle Australia Waterways Guide
River levels
Bureau of Meteorology
Water Data online – from water course discharge to water temperature & pH.
Bureau of Meteorology
Flood warning services
RESOURCES
Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous Australian Seasonal Cues
Noel Nannup
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
Bureau of Meteorology
RESOURCES
Research
CSIRO Climate Change in Australia
Climate information, projections, tools & data you can trust
Climate Change, Physical Activity & Sport: A Systematic Review
Climate change impacts threaten physical activity behaviours
Working in heat: James Goodman, Elizabeth Humphrys & Freya Newman
Contrasting heat management approaches among outdoor employees and contractors
Extreme terrestrial heat in 2023 | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
Perkins-Kirkpatrick et al
Heat-related mortality: an urgent need to recognise and record – The Lancet Planetary Health
Thomas Longden et al
The impact of temperature on mortality across different climate zones | Climatic Change (springer.com)
Thomas Longden
Extreme terrestrial heat in 2023 | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
Perkins-Kirkpatrick et al