What we do

Serving Australia for more than 100 years

We're Australia's weather, water, climate, oceans and space weather agency. Our work touches the lives of all Australians, every day.

Since 1908, we have proudly:

• supported governments, emergency services and industry to make informed decisions
• assisted Australians to live safely and productively.

From humble beginnings, we have grown to be a modern, internationally respected service. The Bureau’s services span the Australian region encompassing:

• the mainland and Tasmania
• Australia’s offshore islands and territories, including the Australian Antarctic Territory
• surrounding oceans and seas. 

Learn about our vision and purpose, including our strategy and the legal authority for our work.

Our role in weather, water, climate, oceans and space weather

We help Australians deal with their natural environment and its many challenges through:

• forecasts
• warnings
• observations
• monitoring
• analysis
• advice.

We provide this expertise across a range of specialist areas.

Collecting meteorological data

Every minute of every day, we record, collect and analyse vast amounts of data. This ranges from:

• land temperatures and rainfall to upper-atmosphere winds
• ocean tides and salinity levels to currents and temperatures.

We take measurements:

• under the ocean using specialised buoys
• at surface level using weather stations, radars and other equipment
• high in the atmosphere with weather balloons, planes and satellites.

These observations are the basis for our forecasts and form Australia's climate record.

The network that collects the observations stretches across Australia and beyond. From Alice Springs to Antarctica, oceans to space. 

It is one of the world's most extensive observation networks, and includes the globally significant Kennaook / Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station.

Learn more about our observation network. 

To explore some of the equipment we use in the network, visit our Radar and equipment knowledge centre.

How our data and information is used

We use our observations data in many ways. So do scientists from universities, international institutions and CSIRO.

Forecasting weather and climate

This data is essential for work to:

• forecast weather and climate
• improve the world's understanding of the environment.

Observations feed into the models we operate using our supercomputer. We use the models to forecast the weather, as well as sea surface and ocean conditions, up to a week ahead.

For more about models, see our Forecasting climate page.

Delivering products and services

We turn observations data into products and services. These are used by a wide range of industries and essential services. For example, by:

• emergency services, to protect the community from bushfires, floods and other natural hazards
• farmers, to make decisions about crop-planting and water for the season ahead
• airlines, to plan schedules, fuel loads and flight routes
• offshore gas and oil facilities, to keep freight moving and staff safe
• the Australian Defence Force, for operations and exercises on land, in the air or at sea.

Find out more in our Government and industry section.

International collaboration and research

We represent the Australian Government at the World Meteorological Organization. Through this organisation, we:

• share data and knowledge with the world
• work with other nations on major projects.

Some of our services extend well beyond Australia's national boundaries. For example, we track and forecast volcanic ash across:

• Indonesia
• Papua New Guinea
• the southern Philippines.

We also provide tsunami threat information for other Indian Ocean countries.

Research and development institute

Most people know us for forecasts and warnings. But the Bureau is also a leading international research and development institute.

We've been at the forefront of innovation that is now used world-wide. This includes developing numerical weather prediction, which now underpins most weather forecasts.

We work with many other bodies locally and internationally on research projects. Our partners include universities, science agencies and government agencies.

For more about our international collaboration and research work, see on our Global collaborators and Research and development pages.