The Northern Territory's disaster preparedness and response capability will be significantly strengthened with the appointment of an embedded meteorologist within Northern Territory Fire and Emergency Services (NTFES), supported by funding from the Australian Government's Disaster Ready Fund (DRF).
Under a 36-month service agreement with the Bureau of Meteorology, a specialist meteorologist will be integrated directly into NTFES operations, providing frontline decision-makers with immediate access to expert weather analysis, modelling and forecasting during both routine planning and emergency events.
Senior Forecast meteorologist Billy Lynch, currently based in Darwin with the Bureau of Meteorology, has been selected for the role and will commence with NTFES later this month.
Billy brings 21 years of experience forecasting NT weather, including 16 years in the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre and a decade in the NT Severe Weather Section.
During this time Billy has worked closely with emergency services agencies, notably during major events such as Severe Tropical Cyclones Fina, Trevor and Megan, as well as major flooding and campaign fire events.
The position is funded through a $495,000 DRF grant and will focus on optimising the use of real-time weather and river data to support both tactical and strategic emergency management. This will enable faster, more accurate assessments of risk across the Northern Territory's diverse and often extreme landscapes.
The initiative is one of 96 projects funded under Round Three of the DRF, which is delivering up to $200 million nationally for disaster resilience and risk-reduction projects across Australia in 2025-26. The DRF is the Australian Government's flagship program to strengthen community resilience, committing up to $1 billion over five years from 1 July 2023 to reduce the physical and social impacts of disasters.
Quotes attributable to NT Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner, Andrew Warton:
"This strengthened capability will support NTFES to utilise the best available information when preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters."
"Embedding this expert role will also enhance the Territory's resilience by improving community warnings, informing mitigation strategies, and ensuring emergency personnel are equipped with the most accurate forecasts during critical operations."
Quote attributable to Todd Smith, Manager, Decision Support Services NT and WA, Bureau of Meteorology:
"The Bureau of Meteorology values the partnership with Northern Territory Fire and Emergency Services (NTFES) and welcomes the opportunity to embed our expertise alongside decision makers. Our meteorologists will work side-by-side with NTFES to help strengthen all aspects of managing hazards, including preparing, responding and recovering from natural disasters in the Territory."
