Storm Spotters

An extract from the Bureau of Meteorology website. Used with permission.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning Service is a national network of volunteer Storm Spotters who provide "on-the-spot" information on damaging storms. Spotters are community-minded people drawn from all walks of life including the fire & emergency services, educational institutions, rural industries and the general public. They report either on a free call telephone number direct to our forecasting offices and/or by lodging report cards. Spotters supplement the Bureau's existing network of weather stations and cooperative observers. The information they provide has a tremendous impact on the Bureau's services, allowing us to verify warnings, calibrate weather radars during events and improve our understanding of the frequency and distribution of these storms across Australia. There are currently over 2000 Storm Spotters active in Australia.

Duties of Spotters

In the event of observing a severe thunderstorm or on hearing about damaging thunderstorms in their general area, spotters are requested to:

• Phone the Bureau on a free call number as soon as the storm has passed.
• Fill in and post (free) a report card to the Bureau.

Reports take less than 5 minutes to complete. Spotters in rural areas may also assist by forwarding local newspaper clippings that we would not otherwise see in the metropolitan areas

What Storm Spotters Report

Storm Spotters are asked to report to the Bureau of Meteorology if they observe, or hear of:

Hail - 2 cm diameter ($2.00 coin size) or larger

Damaging winds - 90 km/h or greater E.g. trees snapped, uprooted, large branches down, tiles or roofing lifted, structural damage to well constructed buildings

Tornadoes - rotating funnel-shaped clouds extending to or near ground level

Very heavy rainfall - unusually heavy rainfall, or rainfall resulting in localised flash flooding

How to Join the Storm Spotter Network

If you would like to join our spotter network, are 18 years of age or older and a resident of Australia, please print out and complete the Spotter Application Form, which can be accessed by the Bureau of Meteorology website and post it to your local Bureau Regional Office. We will notify you as soon as possible on the success of your application. The Bureau provides comprehensive training material to all new spotters. They also receive the "StormSpotter" newsletter which contains articles on severe thunderstorms and further training material.