Monday 31 July 2000

MEDIA RELEASE - TASMANIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Weather service fires up for Tasmanian leg of Torch Relay

As the Olympic torch makes its way around Tasmania, the Bureau of Meteorology will issue two extra forecasts each day, in addition to their standard weather services, to meet the needs of relay organisers, runners and spectators.

Mr Hugh Hutchinson, Regional Director Tasmania/Antarctica, said relay participants would receive regular updates about weather conditions. A typical torch relay forecast will include the general weather situation, warnings of potentially hazardous conditions, expected weather for the next part of the route, an outlook for the following day and a scheduled time for the next forecast, he said.

Mr Hutchinson said the Bureau was dependent on a vast database of information to compile forecasts. In addition to technology such as satellites, radar and automatic weather stations the Bureau also has a network of observers along the torch route who provide valuable local information.

Forecasting for the torch relay is just one of a number of weather services to be provided for the Sydney 2000 Olympics under an agreement between the Bureau and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

Hugh Hutchinson, Alasdair Hainsworth and Bureau observers at Rosebery and Ross are available for media interviews (details below).

Although the Bureau is not predicting any really unusual weather over the next few days, it is important for relay participants to be aware of local factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and wind, as these elements have an effect on comfort levels of individual runners.

Climate was one of the criteria taken into account during development of the national torch relay route. The Australian leg of the journey, which covers 27,000 kilometres, will see the flame traverse every climate zone in the country.

Further information:

Hugh Hutchinson, Regional Director Tasmania/Antarctica
tel work: (03) 6221 2001 (office), 0418 177 469 (mobile)
e-mail: h.hutchinson@bom.gov.au

Alasdair Hainsworth, Meteorologist, Regional Forecasting Centre, Victoria,
tel work: (03) 6221 2022 (office), 0407 240 534 (mobile)
e-mail: a.hainsworth@bom.gov.au

Mike Ball, Weather Services Coordinator, Tasmania,
tel work: (03) 6221 2081,
e-mail: m.ball@bom.gov.au

Steve Pendelbury, Supervising Meteorologist, Tasmania,
tel work: (03) 6221 2021,
email: s.pendelbury@bom.gov.au

Rainfall Observer at Rosebery, Mrs Yvonne Gill
tel: (03) 6473 1492

Cooperative Observer at Ross, Mrs Enid Harding
tel: (03) 6381 5307

Bureau of Meteorology Olympic web site:
The Bureau's Olympic web site has been archived and is available from the National Library of Australia http://pandora.nla.gov.au/parchive/2000/S2000-Sep-15/www.olympic.bom.gov.au/olympic/index.htm.