Forecast Explorer Help

• The Forecast Explorer provides forecasts across the whole state and ocean areas within 60 nautical miles from the coast, with a detail resolution of 6km square.

The graphical forecasts are for 1 to 7 days ahead.

• Days 1 - 3 have 3 hourly forecasts.
• Days 4 - 7 have 6 hourly forecasts.
• Minimum and Maximum temperatures and Rainfall elements are daily forecasts.
• Marine related weather maps are for 1 to 4 days ahead.

The forecasts routinely occur twice a day each morning and afternoon and maybe updated at other times. Day and night transitions are: from 6 am for Day forecasts; and from 6 pm for Night forecasts. Note that the worded forecast should be considered the definitive forecast.

• General view - The Forecast Explorer provides tabular forecasts for any point and map forecasts for state and district areas. Tabular forecasts include 1-7 day summary forecasts for any point over land and detailed 1-7 day forecasts for selected locations.
• Marine view - The Forecast Explorer provides tabular forecasts for any point over ocean areas within 60 nautical miles from the coast, and map forecasts for state and coastal areas. Tabular forecasts include 1 day summary forecasts for any point.
• Separate maps are presented for each forecast time and element.
• Forecast elements include:
  • 'Max/Min temperature'
    ‘Min’ indicates the forecast overnight minimum temperature expected between 6 pm and 9 am. ‘Max’ indicates the forecast daytime maximum temperature expected between 6 am and 9 pm.
  • 'Temperature'
    Temperature maps at the selected time.
  • 'Relative Humidity'
    Relative Humidity maps at the selected time.
  • 'Apparent Temperature'
    Apparent temperature maps at the selected time.
  • 'Likely Rainfall total'
    24 hour forecast "likely" rainfall totals in millimetres, based on a 50% chance of exceeding this amount (covers the 24 hour period from 15 to 15 UTC or 1am to 1am EST)
  • 'Possible higher Rainfall total'
    24 hour forecast "possible" rainfall totals in millimetres, based on a 25% chance of exceeding this amount (covers the 24 hour period from 15 to 15 UTC or 1am to 1am EST)
  • 'Chance of any rain'
    24 hour forecast chance of any rainfall as percentage (covers the 24 hour period from 15 to 15 UTC or 1am to 1am EST)
  • 'Weather'
    Forecast Weather at the selected time including thunderstorms, rain, snow, frost, fog, dust, smoke and haze.
    Note 'rain' will be displayed when amounts of 0.1 mm or greater are expected and may incorporate showers, rain or drizzle.
  • 'Wind'
    Displays wind speeds in colours and the fixed length arrows show the direction the wind is blowing towards.
  • 'Combined sea and swell height'
    Displays combined sea and swell heights in colours

• Forecasts for state and regional or coastal areas are presented as maps, with colours representing forecast values.
  Those states that don't yet have the new forecasting system implemented, are coloured light grey. Graphical forecasts are not available for these areas.
• There are different maps for each forecast element and forecast time, for example wind speed and direction at 7am in the figure below.
  To view a forecast map, select a forecast element and a forecast time.
• The title above the map shows which forecast element is selected, the unit of measure and the local forecast time.
• The forecasts are based on grids with a detail resolution of 6km.

Example identifying map title, legend and example location dot. (Annotations are red.)

Map views - zooming, changing areas.

• From the state map, you can zoom in to a regional or coastal view. From these views you can zoom out, or move to an adjacent area.
  • Zoom in to a regional or coastal view by clicking on the state map. As you move your mouse over the state map a highlight box will indicate the area covered by the zoomed in view.
  • Zoom out by clicking on the 'Overview' map.
    
  • Move to another area by clicking on 'Adjacent areas' arrows.
    
    or by clicking a location from the 'Go to Region' pull-down list.
    

• In the general view, four types of text forecast can be displayed, 1-day summary forecasts, 7-day summary forecasts, 7-day temperatures and rainfall totals, and detailed 7-day forecasts.
• In the marine view, the 1-day summary forecast is the only option.
• For the general view, mouse over any location square or diamond to display a 1-day summary forecast for that location.
  The square symbols are available in the (close-up) district view.
  Note: Town forecast values may differ slightly from the surrounding map forecast values due to averaging of the data.
  
• Click any location SQUARE to display a 7-day summary forecast for that location.
  
• For the general view, click any location DIAMOND, then on More Details, to display a detailed 7-day forecast in the browser window. Hit the back button in the browser to return to the Forecast Explorer.
  Example segment from a detailed 7-day forecast.
  
• For the marine and general zoomed in view, click anywhere on the map to view a summary forecast for for that 6km square area.
  Scaled down example of 7-day summary forecast.
  

• 'Daily view', 'Weekly view' and 'Loops' provide different ways to look through the same set of 7-day of forecast maps. Choose the view you prefer.
  

Daily View

The 'Daily view' shows the 7 days of forecasts in 12 hour increments.

• To choose a 12 hour period for a specific day, click and select the period from the menu that has an initial value of 'Today'.
  or
  Click on the adjacent ' -12 Hrs.' or '+12 Hrs.' buttons to move the period back or ahead 12 hours.
• Select the forecast element and time from the table by clicking on a time in the row for that element. Selected times will colour highlight.
• You may choose 'mouse-click' or 'mouse-over' for selecting the times.

Weekly View

The Weekly view shows all 7 days of forecasts.

• Select the forecast element and time from the table by clicking on a time in the column for that element. Selected times will colour highlight.
• You may choose 'mouse-click' or 'mouse-over' for selecting the times.

Loops

The Loops view provides controls to animate or step through part or all of the 7-day time sequence for each forecast element.

• Select a 'Forecast element' from the pull-down list.
• You can select a specific forecast time from the 'Period' list,
  or,
• Click the 'Image animation' play button to play the whole 7-day forecast sequence,
  or ,
  click the 'Image step' buttons to step through the sequence.
• The speed of the animation can be adjusted by clicking the minus "-" or plus "+" button until it is playing at the speed you prefer.

• Click the 'Print' link to print your current forecast map.
• The forecast map will open in a new window.
• Use your browser print controls, or the print icon below the map to send it to your printer.

The About this service page describes how these forecasts are produced and information about the Australian Digital Forecast Database (ADFD).

Help links to this page.