Climate Services are delivered through three individual outputs which contribute to the achievement of the desired outcome. The developments related to each individual output during 2003-04 and their contribution to the outcome are considered below.

ARCHIVED DATA 

Archived data encompasses the collection, storage, archiving and quality control of the meteorological and related data that underpin many Bureau services and research activities. The data are stored principally in the Australian Data Archive for Meteorology (ADAM), which contains numerous data types, including daily and hourly surface records (e.g. temperature, rainfall totals and intensities, wind speed and direction, surface atmospheric pressure, various visual observations of meteorological phenomena); monthly statistics for surface climate; upper-air measurements; ship and buoy observations; and some international climate data. The data bank continues to expand, in terms of the record duration, the number of stored data types (tropical cyclone statistics were introduced in 2003- 04) and the frequency of observations within a given period. Climate data must be accurate and reliable, and accordingly, a philosophy of continuous improvement underpins the activity under this output. Quality control and other data management procedures are developed and refined in collaboration with the Bureau's observations and engineering activities, with increased emphasis on the automation of these procedures.

The Bureau is responsible for ensuring that the integrity of Australia's climate record is safeguarded through secure archiving of the data that underpin the record. It has also taken an active role in the development of data management systems for Pacific Island countries, in contributing to the establishment of global operational standards for data management, and in international data rescue activities aimed at ensuring the preservation and reliability of the global climate record.

Figure 26. The total number of hourly climate records entered into the database for each year since 1975-76.

Figure 27. The percentage of regular archive entries into the national climate database that were successfully completed within preset quality control standards (target is 96 per cent, as indicated by the black line).

Major developments 2003-04

• Contribution to the mitigation of natural disasters in Australia by providing documentation on, and access to, information about hazardous meteorological events. To assist this contribution, the Bureau has now begun incorporating tropical cyclone records into ADAM. The NCC also participated in an international review of training and education methods aimed at mitigating the impacts of natural disasters and extreme events.
• Commissioning of a study to identify appropriate and cost-effective imaging and storage techniques for paper-based original climate records in response to the requirements of National Archives Australia for government agencies to update their records disposal processes.
• Achievement of significant improvements in the quantity and quality of rainfall records through changes in the methodology for digitally recording rainfall. The quality control system for Rain Gauge Data Loggers is being further upgraded to speed the rate at which records are incorporated into the databank.
• Continuation of a project to image site documentation in order to properly preserve metadata about observation sites including the nature of the local terrain, the types of instruments used and how these may have changed over time. These electronic images are linked to a central database, which contains the information on the history of stations within Bureau networks.
• Contribution to several international data management activities, particularly through involvement in the work of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Commission for Climatology. A significant contribution was also made to the Global Climate Observing System (see Climate Policy, below), the development of future information systems, the development of guidance on climatological practices and promotional material and the initiation of a climate data rescue project as part of the broader government strategy to assist Pacific Island countries in managing and preserving their environment.

Contribution towards outcome

• The expansion of the climate databank enables the public and specialised users to access a wider variety of meteorological data types and, for some data types, information at higher temporal resolutions; the result is increased utility of climate data for a wider range of users.
• The security of the archived climate data on which information about Australia's climate is based has been considerably improved.
• Improved methods of storing rainfall data in digital forms have supported the Bureau in updating the Engineers Australia publication Australian Rainfall and Runoff.
• The incorporation of hourly data from airport sites into ADAM has improved Bureau services to the aviation industry.
• Continuous advances in quality control procedures and metadata records help to improve the meteorological and related data entering ADAM such that they are more accurate, reliable, easier to interpret and available for more efficient and timely delivery, and are thereby of increased value to users.
• Systematic gathering of information on meteorological and hydrological hazards will lead to better understanding of how extreme events and disasters occur, which is essential for planning effective mitigation strategies.
• More efficient imaging and storage techniques are expected to lead to more cost-effective archive management strategies for the Bureau's very substantial amounts of meteorological and related data.
• Involvement in international climate data activities enhances the essential flow of information, technology and skills between countries and contributes to Australia's capacity-building activities in the Pacific region.

CLIMATE DATA SERVICE 

The Climate Data Service provides the Australian and international community with ready access to a broad range of meteorological data and specialised analyses on Australia's climate. The service draws on historical weather observations, some going back to the mid- 1800s, stored in ADAM and also on information from other Bureau archives. Specific requests for data and information are generally made through the Bureau's Internet-based email request facility and by phone. The NCC and Regional Climate and Consultative Services sections respond to and service these requests.

Climate data are retrieved from ADAM and other archives using advanced, interactive database access tools, which the Bureau continues to develop and enhance. In addition, a vast range of statistical and mapped climate data products is provided though the Bureau's website. The products, which are of interest to and support the activities of government, industry, agriculture, research, education and the general public include:

• one-minute, 10-minute, half-hourly and hourly wind and temperature;
• daily sunshine hours and maximum and minimum temperature;
• daily, weekly, monthly and annual rainfall and evaporation;
• observed phenomena, such as the frequency of fog, frost and thunder days;
• location-based and spatially gridded climatological data and statistics; and
• spatially analysed and mapped information in a range of geo-spatial formats.

Major developments 2003-04

• Implementation of a new electronic scheduling facility within the Bureau's database retrieval toolset to automatically deliver routine data products Australia-wide through electronic services such as email.
• Development of a significant new product to deliver hourly and half-hourly data from records originally generated for aviation purposes. This product expands the availability of shorter time-scale data and also facilitates the filling of gaps in the synoptic and climate data streams.
• Development of a valuable set of rainfall-related climatological data products. The annual rain day data were produced in grid and map format and published on the Bureau's website: this average dataset extends the Bureau's existing suite of climatological data available in map and Geographic Information System (GIS) format (Figure 28).
• Enhancement of the Bureau's database access tools to include a common user-specific format, which is used in hydrological programs throughout Australia. Clients can now be provided with daily rainfall data for up to several thousand stations using a single extraction process.

Contribution towards outcome

• Automated database retrieval and delivery systems ensure that users receive data and information reliably and on a scheduled basis, which enhances their own effectiveness and productivity.
• The delivery of hourly and half-hourly aviation meteorological data has enabled the Bureau to respond to growing demand from specific users and major user groups for data at higher time resolutions than are available from routine synoptic and climate data streams.
• The generation of updated or new standard climatological products, such as the raindays dataset, meets the needs of industries such as agriculture, and of scientific groups involved in climate research and climate modelling. For example, the rain-days dataset was produced in standard spatial formats to meet the needs of users working with GIS and related visualisation systems.
• The development of enhanced database extraction and reformatting processes enables the Bureau to meet the specific needs of the hydrological community for rainfall data in specialised formats for hydrological modelling and related uses.

Figure 28. Average annual number of rain days (greater than 1 mm) over Australia. Data are based on 30-year climatologies (1961-1990).

CLIMATE MONITORING SERVICE 

Persistent trends across Australia in records of temperature and rainfall, coupled with extreme events such as drought, have raised awareness about the linkages between longer term climate change and shorter term climate variability, with a consequent increase in demand for reliable and accurate climate monitoring and prediction services. The NCC produces high quality analyses of current and past Australian climate (e.g. Figure 29), and disseminates information and advice to a wide variety of end users in both the government and private sectors. Climate variability has a special interest for agriculture: in addition to the provision of routine products disseminated through the Internet and other bulletins, the NCC engages with many sectors of the agricultural community through membership of agriculture consultative committees and staff attendance at field days and other rural events. The Bureau also collaborates actively in international climate related activities.

The Climate Monitoring Service also encompasses the provision of official seasonal climate predictions for Australia, as well as the provision of information on historical climate change. Significant work is undertaken to determine the skill of the seasonal outlooks model and hence the value of the predictions. The climate prediction service aims not only to assist in the minimisation of adverse economic impacts and environmental degradation, but also through its provision of timely and skilful outlooks to allow communities to employ appropriate strategies when favourable conditions are being predicted. The incorporation of complex coupled dynamical climate models into the suite of predictive tools has enhanced the ability of the Climate Monitoring Service to predict earlier the onset of major climatic anomalies such as El Niño and La Niña.

Figure 29. An example of the climate analyses produced by the NCC. It is a rainfall 'percentage of normal' map for New South Wales and northern Victoria and shows a broad region that received well below its mean rainfall for the period during the first six months of 2004.

Major developments 2003-04

• Convening of the DroughtCom workshop in July to assess how well climate information is being communicated. The 2002-03 El Niño-related Australian drought provided a sharp focus for discussions during the workshop, which generated recommendations on national coordination, climate and communication products, capacity building and integration and value adding.
• Consolidation of the full seasonal climate outlook service onto the Internet, including both State and national outlooks, has led to a more comprehensive and efficient level of service provision as well as a more effective means of communicating the seasonal outlooks.
• Development of the first operational Internet service for Australia's coupled ocean/atmosphere model, POAMA, which enables users to examine outlooks for the tropical equatorial Pacific for up to eight months ahead, providing indications on the likelihood of a swing towards an El Niño or La Niña event.
• Further refinement of the annual Australian Climate Summary, the monthly Climate Monitoring Bulletin and Seasonal Climate Outlook, along with continuing assessments of the climate images and fields made publicly available through the Internet and through other media.
• Preparation of special climate statements provided consistent information on exceptional, broad-scale Australian climate anomalies (e.g. the record February Australian heatwave), and support clear communication to the public of how local anomalies in one State may be related to conditions across the rest of the continent.
• Provision of information on long-term climate variability and trends through the Internet, allowing users to assess the magnitude and extent of regional climate variations and changes over the past 50 to 100 years (Figure 30).
• Commencement of work on the development of indicators to monitor the extent and assess the potential impact of significant climate related anomalies on drought and bushfire.
• Completion of the major climate publication Drought, Dust and Deluge, which catalogues the significant climate events throughout Australia's recent recorded history.
• Achievement of significant involvement in international activities including contributions to major monitoring and prediction statements and publications (e.g. WMO Statements on the Status of the Global Climate and on El Niño), participation in meetings and activities of the WMO Commissions for Climatology and Agricultural Meteorology, operation of a Lead Centre for Long Range Forecast Verification and hosting international visitors. Major regional contributions included involvement in the Asia Pacific Climate Network project, the conduct of workshops for the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change, production and distribution of monthly South Pacific Seasonal Outlook Reference Material and the establishment of the AusAID-funded Pacific Island Climate Prediction Project, under which the Bureau's seasonal outlook service will be implemented in several countries.

Figure 30. The Australian Climate Change and Variability website allows users to examine the variations and trends in Australia's climate over the past century. http://www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/clfor/expresults.htm.

Contribution towards outcome

• Climate monitoring and prediction products and services, comprising both publications and Internet based material, improve community understanding of climate and assist in forward planning and the management of consequences in weather and climate sensitive industries.
• Unambiguous communication of climate information is the key to its effective use. Workshops such as DroughtCom focus attention on how well information is being taken up and how communication with key sectors might be improved. At the same time, the monitoring of media interactions indicates how well critical information is being disseminated to the public at large.
• Long-lead climate forecasting and the intensive monitoring of incipient changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean greatly enhance the ability of the Bureau of Meteorology to formulate up-to-date policy advice on events such as El Niño and La Niña. This advice guides users in their planning to protect key assets from associated drought, fires or floods, and to be prepared for any consequential socio-economic costs.
• Information on historical climate variability and change helps industry and government to better comprehend how climate variations might affect their interests, and promotes the formulation of more effective strategies to lessen the adverse impacts and exploit the opportunities.
• The continuous refinement of climate monitoring and forecast products, based on internal re-assessments and feedback from users at all levels, helps ensure more effective use of the information provided.
• A high level commitment to engaging in international collaborative activities in operational climatology has led to a reputation for excellence by Australia in this important area of global interest. The growth in targeted capacity building activities by the Bureau in the southwest Pacific has been especially welcomed.

A Bureau officer demonstrates the Bureau's online climate maps to a farmer at the Birchip Cropping Group's annual EXPO day in northwestern Victoria.

CLIMATE POLICY ADVICE 

In addition to the operational activities involved in providing the Climate Services outputs, the Bureau participates in numerous activities and interactions that provide policy advice on climate variability and change to government in both national and international contexts.

Climate variability, including climate change, has significant consequences for the Australian environment and economy and the Bureau contributes information and advice to Government on the status of the nation's climate. Much of this information and advice is imparted through face-to-face briefings of bodies such as the Primary Industries Ministerial Council, the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, the Murray- Darling Basin Commission and their supporting committees. The Bureau is represented on several of the subsidiary groups established under these inter-jurisdictional structures. The Bureau also informs policy through its involvement with relevant Cooperative Research Centres, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) High Level Group on Greenhouse and also indirectly through proposals to funding agencies. Many Commonwealth and State government agencies regularly use the Bureau's climate dataand products in carrying out their operational functions and in their development of policy. In particular, the Bureau works with the Australian Greenhouse Office and the CSIRO to develop and implement the scientific agenda for climate change research as well as the communication strategies for informing government and industry.

At an international level, the Bureau contributes strongly on several fronts. It provides scientific input on climate change issues relevant to Australia's negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). It is also active in coordinating Australian activities for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working major new initiative on Earth Observations has been forged, with the establishment of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which aims to progress from the current loosely-coordinated array of observing platforms towards the development of a comprehensive, well-coordinated and sustainable Earth observation system of systems. The Bureau has taken the lead in coordinating Australia's participation in this process. The Bureau also provides a coordinating role for climate science and monitoring projects being proposed and implemented under various climate bilateral partnerships, for instance with the US, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan and China.

Major developments 2003-04

• Contribution to the development of the National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan coordinated by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
• The conduct of workshops in South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania aimed at strengthening links between the Bureau and State government departments of Agriculture or Primary Industries. In addition, the contribution of climate and related information by the Bureau to existing consultative committees was strengthened in Victoria and New South Wales.
• Contribution in a lead role to UNFCCC negotiations on issues relating to research and systematic observations of the climate system with particular focus on implementing the findings of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Second Adequacy Report. Building on UNFCCC decisions, the Bureau successfully led the establishment of the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism to facilitate increased international support for global monitoring systems within developing countries.
• Coordination of Australian participation in the GEOSS process, through chairing an Interdepartmental Committee to coordinate Australian input at a high level and a Joint Working Group for input at a technical level. The Bureau co-chaired one of five international sub-groups (International Cooperation), which aims to identify the appropriate future governance arrangements for the GEOSS process.
• Coordination of the production of the 2003 edition of Climate Activities in Australia. This document, which reports on on-going climate related activities in Australia, was distributed widely including to delegates to the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the UNFCCC in Milan in December.

Contribution towards outcome

• Government Ministers and their advisers were regularly briefed on current climatic conditions and outlooks to support development of policy priorities and responses. Strengthened links with State government departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries should to lead to improved use of existing products and the development of enhanced products and service delivery for farmers and other end-users.
• The Bureau helped to preserve the scientific integrity of the National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan.
• Improved climate observations and services in Pacific Island countries assist their communities in attaining sustainable development; the observations also serve to fill what would be large data-void regions that would constrain progress in improving understanding of the climate system, including climate change.
• The Bureau's lead role in a number of UNFCCC issues, especially those related to enhancing global observing systems for climate, has helped significantly to raise Australia's standing in that forum.
• The Bureau contribution to the formulation of the GEOSS should help ensure that its future direction serves the future needs of the Australian community for meteorological and related data.