THE Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) radars at Newdegate, South Doodlakine and Watheroo will go offline for two weeks at a time for routine service works that will maintain and enhance their operational capabilities.
The radars are three of five BoM Wurrung radars in Australia to undergo an update in 2018.
The first radar offline is Newdegate (August 14 to 24), followed by South Doodlakine (August 28 to September 13) and Watheroo (September 18-28).
The digital upgrades will update and standardise the radars to a common, consistent configuration that will improve on-going performance and reliability, extend the life of the radars, and simplify maintenance.
“This update to the Wheatbelt radars involves digital upgrades that we will undertake regularly during their 30-year lifecycle,” said BoM acting State manager Todd Smith.
“We are constantly improving our technology and equipment for weather services across Australia and as you would expect with anything you buy or invest in, it needs to undergo routine services and updates as new technology or parts become available.
“This is all part of ensuring we provide the best service possible to the communities in the Wheatbelt.”
The service was planned for August and September, to be ready before harvesting.
During the upgrade weather forecasters will continue to draw on observations from a range of sources including satellites, automatic weather stations and flood warning networks.
Members of the public can receive up-to-date forecast information via MetEye at bom.gov.au/australia/meteye