The Bureau of Meteorology is Australia's national meteorological agency. We provide weather, climate, water information and oceanographic services and support these with a wide ranging research program.

The Bureau's terrestrial, marine and aviation services span Australia and its surrounds: from the Antarctic to the equator, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

Apart from weather and climate forecasts, we issue warnings relating to critical events such as cyclones, floods, tsunami, bushfires and volcanoes (atmospheric ash). We also maintain the nation's weather and water resource records.

Behind all these services is an extensive observation network that is fundamental to all the Bureau's forecasts, warnings and research. Observations are recorded by a network of surface and space based systems that include automatic weather stations, thousands of volunteer rainfall observers, and highly sophisticated meteorological satellites.

The Bureau has offices in some 60 locations across Australia and employs around 1400 people. It was conceived at Federation, began operations on 1 January 1908 and now operates under the Meteorology Act 1955. The Bureau is an executive agency of the Australian Government within the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Internationally, it fulfils Australia's obligations under the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and related international meteorological treaties and agreements.