The next generation of online weather information services, which allows viewers to see forecast conditions and actual weather conditions side by side, has been launched in Queensland ahead of an expected gradual national rollout.

The Bureau of Meteorology yesterday released the full suite of MetEye services in Queensland.

The Bureau says the interactive online service combines the most popular elements of its website in one online location and provides easy access to real-time weather information.

MetEye is a graphical forecasting viewer that brings together seven day forecasts, satellite and radar imagery and near real-time weather data such as temperature, rainfall, cloud cover, humidity and wind speed.

Forecasts are presented in a graphical map, showing forecast rainfall and temperature in colour bands which can be ‘played’ as a seven-day animation

“While warnings will continue to be issued on the Bureau’s official warning pages, MetEye can display significant weather such as thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, rainfall, fog and frost.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Senator Simon Birmingham, said emergency services will be able to use real-time river observations, updated every six to nine minutes, in operational planning. “This information will indicate where a river is rising, and whether the river is at minor, moderate or major flood level,” he said.

MetEye is part of the Next Generation Forecast and Warning System (NexGen) rolled out nationally over the past five years.

NexGen was delivered in Queensland in October 2013 and is scheduled for delivery in the Northern Territory at the end of this year, completing the nationwide project.

“This new forecasting system represents a major investment in improving the services the Bureau provides to the Australian public, which has already seen an additional 67 towns in Queensland receive a 7-day forecast,” Senator Birmingham said.

For further information, visit www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye.