Figure 5. Web-based interface for tailoring National Thunderstorm Forecasting Guidance products.

Severe thunderstorms have caused billions of dollars of damage in Australia. To minimise their impact, the Bureau has developed an upgraded Severe Thunderstorm Warning Service for the Australian community. It blends Australian-developed systems with the best from overseas to allow forecasters to more accurately predict the path and intensity of approaching thunderstorms. It comprises American software to detect and track thunderstorm cells from radar; Bureau-developed software for manipulating radar data; a webbased interface allowing forecasters to view tailored thunderstorm information from the Bureau's mesoscale computer model (Figure 5), and a revolutionary thunderstorm forecast preparation system providing tailored products in text, graphics, and voice formats. The system will be incorporated in the Bureau's Australian Integrated Forecast System during 2004-05.