The Search for Australia’s Worst Weather Station

With 300 of Australia’s official weather stations (out of a total of about 700) identified so far as not meeting Bureau of Meteorology specifications, we come to the daunting task of selecting the worst station from a long Roll of Dishonour. 

Naturally they come in a range of locations and environment types, so to help I have listed 25 stations that I think should be on the shortlist.  It was a difficult task to whittle the list down to 25- I left out many candidates.  You may disagree and you are welcome to recommend your own- but they must be currently reporting daily temperatures.

Browse through the list and click on each to take you to its report, then use the browser back arrow to return here, and nominate what you think is the worst.

First, a couple of stations NOT on the list (because they have recently moved to a better site and are not currently reporting from their old positions):

Streaky Bay (SA) and its 2019 Google satellite image:

Katoomba (NSW) and its Google street view from 2015:

If still in their old locations, these would have to be on the shortlist.

THE SHORTLIST

Ararat (Vic)

Cape Byron (NSW)

Castlemaine (Vic)

Cleve (SA)

Donnybrook (WA)

Emerald (Qld)

Gladstone Airport (Qld)

Goomalling (WA)

Gosnells City (WA)

Lancelin (WA)

Launceston (Tas)

Lucinda (Qld)

Maitland (SA)

Mandurah (WA)

Manjimup (WA)

Mount Barker (SA)

Murray Bridge (SA)

Narembeen (WA)

Newman Aero (WA) 

Price (SA) 

Rutherglen (Vic) 

Springwood (NSW) 

Sydney  (NSW) 

Sydney Airport (NSW)

Wilsons Promontory (Vic)

Which is the worst?

The Wacky World of Weather Stations Index

Here are 300 of the Australian weather stations that are not compliant with Bureau of Meteorology specifications for siting.

Site compliance is important because temperature data from these stations is liberally reported in the media especially if hot or cold records are set. They also contribute to AWAP (the Australian Water Availability Project) and ADAM which produce maps of present and past temperatures. As well, data from these stations is used to homogenise data at stations in Australia’s ACORN-SAT network, which are used for showing trends since 1910. Finally, this data is exported to be used by international databases (GISS, CruTem4) for regional and global climate analysis. If the data is affected by site specific factors, e.g being too close to a road, this may affect the quality of the analysis.

I am agnostic as to the overall effect of these poorly sited stations. Maxima at some sites may be artificially low, or minima may be artificially high, and this may vary with seasons and rainfall. Analysis and comparison of temperatures will come later. My focus here is to show the large number of modern stations whose data may be unreliable.

The quality of these non-compliant stations varies. While some are truly horrendous, others are not nearly as bad, but all fail on one or more specifications.

This page will be updated as extra stations are identified.

Find your favourite station, click on it, and the link will take you to my assessment of its siting quality. Use the back arrow to return here.

A
Adelaide (SA)	Applethorpe (Qld)
Aireys Inlet (Vic)	Ararat (Vic)
Albany (WA)	Arkaroola (SA)
Albury (NSW)	Avalon (Vic)
Alva Beach (Qld)	Ayr DPI (Qld)
Andamooka (SA)
B
Bairnsdale (Vic)	Bollon (Qld)
Balranald (NSW)	Bombala (NSW)
Bankstown (NSW)	Bombala AWS (NSW)
Barcaldine (Qld)	Brewarrina (NSW)
Barimunya (WA)	Bridgetown (WA)
Barraba (NSW)	Burrinjuck Dam (NSW)
Beaudesert (Qld)	Bushy Park (Tas)
Bedourie (Qld)	Busselton (WA)
Ben Nevis (Vic)
Beverley (WA)
Bickley (WA)
Bidyadanga (WA)
C
Cape Flattery (Qld)	Charles Point (NT)
Cape Leeuwin (WA)	Charters Towers (Qld)
Cape Naturaliste (WA)	Cleve (SA)
Camooweal (Qld)	Cleve Airport (SA)
Cape Borda (SA)	Coconut Island (Qld)
Cape Bruny (Tas)	Coffs Harbour (NSW)
Cape Bruny AWS (Tas)	Coldstream (Vic)
Cape Byron (NSW)	Collarenebri (NSW)
Cape Moreton (Qld)	Collie East (WA)
Cape Nelson (Vic)	Collinsville (Qld)
Cape Otway (Vic)	Coonabarabran (NSW)
Cape Willoughby (SA)	Corrigin (WA)
Cardwell (Qld)	Cressy (Tas)
Carnamah (WA)	Cummins Airport (SA)
Carnegie (WA)	Cunderdin (WA)
Castlemaine (Vic)	Cunnamulla (Qld)
Century Mine (Qld)	Curtin Springs (NT)
	Cygnet Bay (WA)
D
Dalwallinu (WA)	Deniliquin (NSW)
Dartmouth (Vic)	Donnybrook (WA)
Double Island Point (Qld)	Dover (Tas)
Denham (WA)	Dunedoo (NSW)

E
Echuca Airport (Vic)	Emerald (Qld)
Edinburgh (SA)	Eudunda (SA)
Edithburgh (SA)	Eyre (WA)
Elliston (SA)

F
Falls Creek (Vic)	Forster (NSW)
Flinders Island Airport (Tas)	Friendly Beaches (Tas)

G
Geraldton Airport (WA)	Grafton Airport (NSW)
Giles (WA)	Green Cape (NSW)
Gladstone Airport (Qld)	Greenbank (Qld)
Gladstone Radar (Qld)	Griffith (NSW)
Gold Coast Seaway (Qld)	Gulgong (NSW)
Goomalling (WA)	Gundagai (NSW)
Gosnells City (WA)	Guyra (NSW)
Grafton AgRS (NSW)	Gympie (Qld)

H
Halls Ck (WA)	Hobart (Tas)
Hartz Mountain (Tas)	Hopetoun North (WA)
Hervey Bay (Qld)	Horsham (Vic)
Hillston (NSW)	Hyden (WA)

I
Ingham (Qld)	Innisfail (Qld)
Injune (Qld)	Innisfail Aero (Qld)

J
Jabiru (NT)	Jarrahwood (WA)
Jacup (WA)	Jurien Bay (WA)

K
Kadina (SA)	Kerang (Vic)
Kalbarri (WA)	Kimba (SA)
Kalumburu (WA)	Kingscote (SA)
Kangaroo Flats (NT)	Kintore (NT)
Karijini North (WA)	Kowanyama Airport (QLD)
Karoonda (SA)	Kuitpo (SA)
Katoomba (NSW)	Kulgera (NT)
Keith (SA)	Kyancutta (SA)
Kellerberrin (WA)

L
Lady Elliott Island (Qld)	Launceston (Tas)
Lajamanu Airport (NT)	Leinster (WA)
Lake Eildon (Vic)	Lightning Ridge (NSW)
Lake Leake (Tas)	Lismore Airport (NSW)
Lake Victoria (NSW)	Logan City (Qld)
Lakes Entrance (Vic)	Longerenong (Vic)
Lameroo (SA)	Low Isles (Qld)
Lancelin (WA)	Loxton (SA)
Larapuna (Eddystone Pt) (Tas)	Lucinda (Qld)
Latrobe Valley (Vic)

M
Mackay MO (Qld)	Mitchell (Qld)
Maitland (SA)	Montague Island (NSW)
Mandora (WA)	Moorabbin (Vic)
Mandurah (WA)	Morawa (WA)
Mangrove Mountain (NSW)	Mornington Is Airport (Qld)
Manjimup (WA)	Moruya Heads (NSW)
Marble Bar (WA)	Mount Elizabeth (WA)
Mareeba (Qld)	Mount Barker (SA)
Marrawah (Tas)	Mount Barker (WA)
Marree (SA)	Mount Lofty (SA)
Maryborough (Vic)	Mount Nowa Nowa (Vic)
Maydena (Tas)	Mount Stuart Defence (Qld)
Melbourne (Vic)	Mount William (Vic)
Menindee (NSW)	Mount Seaview (NSW)
Meningie (SA)	Mullewa (WA)
Merimbula (NSW)	Mungindi  (NSW)
Merredin (WA)	Munglinup West (WA)
Minlaton Aero (SA)	Murchison (WA)
Mildura (Vic)	Murray Bridge (SA)
Miles (Qld)	Murrurundi (NSW)
Millendon (WA)	Murwillumbah (NSW)
Minnipa (SA)

N
Naracoorte (SA)	Newman Aero (WA)
Narembeen (WA)	Norah Head (NSW)
Narrogin (WA)	Northam (WA)
Nelson Bay (NSW)	Nullarbor (SA)
Newcastle (NSW)	Nuriootpa (SA)
Newcastle Univ. (NSW)	Nyngan (NSW)

O
Omeo (Vic)	Orford (Tas)
Ongerup (WA)	Ouse (Tas)

P
Padthaway (SA)	Pirlangimpi (NT)
Pallamana (SA)	Pooncarrie (NSW)
Parkes (NSW)	Price (SA)
Peak Hill (NSW)	Point Fawcett (NT)
Pemberton (WA)	Point Hicks (Vic)
Perth Metro (WA)	Point Lookout (Qld)
Pingelly (WA)	Point Perpendicular (NSW)
Pindari Dam (NSW)	Point Stuart (NT)

Q
Quirindi (NSW)

R
Rainbow Beach (Qld)	Rockhampton (Qld)
Ravensthorpe (WA)	Rolleston (Qld)
Redesdale (Vic)	Roseworthy (SA)
Richmond (Qld)	Rutherglen (Vic)
Robe (SA)

S
Salmon Gums RS (WA)	Springwood (NSW)
Sandy Cape (Qld)	Stanthorpe (Qld)
Scone (NSW)	South Johnstone (Qld)
Scoresby (Vic)	Strahan (Tas)
Scotts Peak (Tas)	Streaky Bay (SA)
Seventeen Seventy (Qld)	Sunshine Coast Airport (Qld)
Singleton (NSW)	Surat (Qld)
Smoky Cape (NSW)	Swanbourne (WA)
Snowtown (SA)	Sydney  (NSW)
Southern Cross (WA)	Sydney Airport (NSW)
Springsure (Qld)

T
Tambo (Qld)	Texas (Qld)
Taroom (Qld)	Thredbo Village (NSW)
Tatura (Vic)	Tin Can Bay (Qld)
Tenterfield (NSW)	Tocumwal (NSW)
Territory Grape Farm (NT)	Townsville (Qld)
Tewantin RSL Park (Qld)	Tumbarumba (NSW)

U
Ulladulla (NSW)

V
Viewbank (Vic)

W
Wagin (WA)	Wellington (NSW)
Walpeup (Vic)	Westmere (Vic)
Wanaaring (NSW)	Whyalla (SA)
Wandering (WA)	Wilsons Promontory (Vic)
Wangaratta (Vic)	Wiluna (WA)
Warracknabeal (Vic)	Wongan Hills (WA)
Warmun (WA)	Wonthaggi (Vic)
Warooka (SA)	Woolshed (Qld)
Warra (Tas)	Woomera (SA)
Warragul (Vic)	Wynyard (Tas)
Warrnambool (Vic)

Y
Yamba (NSW)	York (WA)
Yanco (NSW)	Yulara Airport (NT)
Yeppoon (Qld)
Yongala (SA)

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 300- Albany (WA)

Wednesday 11/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Albany 9500

Opened: 1877

Daily Temperature data from: 1907

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: —

Location:   Co-ordinates -35.0289 117.8808

390km south-east of Perth.

BOM site plan 2018:

Google satellite image 2019:

Google street view 2018:

The screen is 8 metres from a concrete slab, 13 metres from a building, 20 to 30 metres from trees, 30 metres from a lagoon, and 43 metres from a four lane road. As seen in the street view, the screen is at the top of a bank- the site is not level.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations but not used to adjust data at Acorn sites- not even the nearby official Albany Acorn site.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 41.44%.

I am pausing my analysis here at 300. Over the next few weeks I will add more stations as I find them. The next post will be an Index of all 300 non-compliant stations found so far. I will also then show final figures for all stations, compliant and non-compliant.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 299- Coonabarabran (NSW)

Tuesday 10/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Coonabarabran (Showgrounds) 64008

Opened: 1879

Daily Temperature data from: 1957

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Dubbo, Inverell (1967).

Location:   Co-ordinates  -31.2786 149.2786

340km north-west of Sydney.

BOM site plan 2016:

Google satellite image 2019:

The screen is 8 metres from one building, 15 to 20 metres from other buildings, and 8 to 15 metres from trees.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 41.3%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 298- Point Perpendicular (NSW)

Tuesday 10/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Jervis Bay (Point Perpendicular AWS) 68151

Opened: 2001

Daily Temperature data from: 2001

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Nowra.

Location:   Co-ordinates   -35.0936 150.8049

140km south of Sydney.

BOM site plan 2018:

Google satellite image 2019:

The screen is 30 metres from buildings, 25 metres from a solid stone wall, and close to areas of bare rock.

This Acorn station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at other Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 41.16%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 297- Pindari Dam (NSW)

Tuesday 10/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Pindari Dam 54104

Opened: 1971

Daily Temperature data from: 1971

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Inverell.

Location:   Co-ordinates   -29.3899 151.2448

500km north of Sydney, 275km south-west of Brisbane..

BOM site plan 2018:

Google satellite image 2019:

The screen, 120 metres below a massive dam wall, is too close to a bitumen road and bitumen carpark.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 41.02%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 296- Wanaaring (NSW)

Monday 09/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Wanaaring Post Office 48079

Opened: 1884

Daily Temperature data from: 1991

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Bourke, Thargomindah.

Location:   Co-ordinates   -29.7029 144.1484

800km north-west of Sydney, 900km south-west of Brisbane..

BOM site plan 2018:

Google satellite image 2019:

Close to bare ground, dirt roads, (one has been bitumened) and close to buildings.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 40.88%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 295- Yanco (NSW)

Monday 09/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Yanco Agricultural Institute 74037

Opened: 1957

Daily Temperature data from: 1999

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: —

Location:   Co-ordinates   -34.6222 146.4326

445km south-west of Sydney.

BOM site plan 2018:

Google satellite image 2019:

This is another rural site which should be ideal, but unfortunately it is neglected. The grass in the enclosure is up to 50cm high, and in every previous inspection it was 50 to 90cm high, except once when it was “recently mowed”.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations but not used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 40.75%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 294- Tocumwal (NSW)

Monday 09/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Tocumwal Airport 74106

Opened: 1897

Daily Temperature data from: 1970

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Deniliquin, Rutherglen.

Location:   Co-ordinates   -35.8170 145.6000

230km north of Melbourne, 550km south-west of Sydney.

BOM site plan 2016:

Google satellite image 2019:

In previous years the “patchy grass to 3cm” was described as “bare earth and patchy grass”- which is what the satellite image shows. The screen is close to bare dirt (an old driveway?), and 20 metres from a bitumen road, the other side of which is a large area of gravel. Several large trees are 30 to 45 metres away.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 40.61%.

The Wacky World of Weather Stations: No. 293- Wellington (NSW)

Sunday 08/12/2019

Please refer back to my first post for site specifications and to No. 92- Logan City for 2018 specifications.  If you wish to check on this (or any) site for yourself, go to my post on how to check for yourself.

Station: Wellington (D&J Rural) 65034

Opened: 1881

Daily Temperature data from: 1965

Data used to adjust Acorn sites at: Bathurst, Dubbo.

Location:   Co-ordinates   -32.5635  148.9503 

250km north-west of Sydney.

BOM site plan 2015:

Google satellite image 2019:

The screen is 5 metres from a wide dirt driveway, 20 metres from railway tracks, 35 metres from a block of large 8 – 10 metre high sheds, and in a busy rural merchandise yard.

This station is non-compliant, with temperatures reported at Latest Weather Observations and used to adjust data at Acorn sites.

FAIL

Percentage of all Australian sites not compliant: 40.47%.