Images from the new Toowoomba weather radar are now live on the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) website and app.

The radar is located in an elevated position between Goombungee and Crows Nest.

BoM Senior Responsible Officer for Queensland, Dr Peter Stone, said that the new radar will add coverage to current radar gaps to the west and south-west of Toowoomba.

“This includes the northern parts of the Moonie and Border rivers catchments, the upper Condamine River catchment, and the mining and resources precinct around Chinchilla”, Dr Stone said.

The new Toowoomba radar will improve the Bureau’s ability to make weather observations in the region and to warn the community about the potential impacts of severe weather as these events unfold.

The community, emergency services and local industry such as agriculture, transport and tourism, will benefit from the latest radar technology that will:

• enable industries and businesses to make better decisions when preparing for severe weather;
• help farming businesses make timely decisions, such as movement of stock, chemical and fertiliser application, sowing and harvesting increase forecast accuracy every year.

Dr Stone the new radar benefits the local area by providing access to real-time rainfall observations for agriculture and industry, including for agriculture, highways and aviation operations.

“The new radar will enable improved flood forecasting and better planning during severe weather event for the travel industry and Condamine, Moonie and Border Rivers catchment communities,” Dr Stone said.

Weather radars play an important role in providing situational awareness to local communities.

While radars are important tools, the Bureau’s forecast and weather warning service is resilient and not dependent on any one piece of equipment.

The next closest weather radar, at Marburg in the Lockyer Valley, underwent upgrades last year.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 25 April 2024.