New radar at Brewarrina switched on this week

The long-awaited new weather radar site at Brewarrina has been switched on and is now in operation.

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton says that the Brewarrina Doppler weather radar is now providing weather information to western NSW communities.

Mr Coulton said he was thrilled the Federal Government had brought the radar online right on time; news that will be widely welcomed by those in the western region.

“The Federal Government knows how important the Brewarrina radar is to the community and has prioritised the commissioning of the radar,” Mr Coulton said.

“This is a welcome addition to the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) radar network that will benefit all sectors of the community. It will enhance decision-making capacity of local industries and will support emergency services in the essential work they do.”

Mr Coulton said images from the radar will appear on the BOM website and BOM Weather app from 1 December 2020, showing an area including Bourke to the west, Nyngan to the south and Walgett to the east.

“With such a busy harvest season this year, I know real-time weather data in this region will be a godsend for farmers looking to make informed decisions for maximum productivity.”

The new installation is part of the Bureau’s national network of more than 60 weather radars and is the first of three new radars for western NSW.

Brewarrina Mayor Phillip O’Connor at the newly operational doppler radar site outside Brewarrina. Photo supplied

Read more local news in the printed edition of The Western Herald.

To subscribe call (02) 6872 2333 today and receive The Western Herald in your letterbox next week!