The Bureau of Meteorology provides world class, trusted and reliable weather, water, climate and space weather services for the Australian community every day.
The Bureau collaborates with and acquires weather and related data from 193 countries and territories that are members of the World Meteorological Organization. This includes sourcing satellite data from approximately 30 satellites across the world, provided by partners in 6 countries. Bureau observations, forecasts and warnings do not depend on one data source or one provider of data.
Every day, data are exchanged with other countries for mutual benefit. The data used by the Bureau for the development of its forecasts and warnings continuously changes and increases. Satellite data, in particular, changes over time as new sensors are developed, additional satellites launched, and older satellites are decommissioned. The receipt of data from third parties is continually evaluated to ensure that Bureau services retain the highest quality, relevance and reliability for the Australian community.
The Bureau maintains close contact with collaborating agencies in the United States, including the Department of Defense (DoD), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA). The Bureau is being kept well informed of any proposed or actual changes in policy direction and access to data (including data provided by US government satellites) that may impact on Bureau services.
Despite reduced funding of some programs in the United States, there is currently no impact on Bureau services.
The Bureau regularly undertakes comprehensive risk assessments and has a range of mitigation and contingency strategies in place to ensure continued delivery of its services, such as weather forecasts, severe weather warnings, flood warnings, tropical cyclone warnings and track maps, in the event there are changes in availability of observational data provided by its partners, including by the United States government.
In addition, the Bureau is on track to add additional observational data to its Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, mitigating known cessation of services from US satellites. The Bureau also has options to access satellite data from international partners such as Japan, South Korea, China and the EU, as well as the private sector if required.
Australians can remain confident in the Bureau's ability to continue providing accurate and timely forecasts and warnings that millions of people rely on each day.
