Forecasting
The Johnstone Shire Council, in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology operates a flood warning system for the Johnstone River catchment. The ALERT network consists of automatic rainfall and river height stations which regularly forward data via radio telemetry to a base station located at the Council offices in Innisfail and the Bureau's Flood Warning Centre in Brisbane. The system provides early warning of heavy rainfall and river rises in the catchment and enables more accurate and timely flood warning and forecasts. The balance of the network consists of volunteer rainfall and river height observers, who forward observations by telephone when the initial flood height has been exceeded at their station. The Department of Natural Resources also operate a number of automatic telephone telemetry stations throughout the catchment.
The Bureau's Flood Warning Centre issues Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins for the Johnstone River catchment during flood events. Quantitative flood forecasts are issued when moderate flood levels are likely to be exceeded at Innisfail, with an objective to provide between 3 and 9 hours warning of flood levels and forecasts updated every 3 hours during the flood event.
Johnstone River ALERT system
The Johnstone River ALERT flood warning system was completed in 1989 as a co-operative project between the Bureau of Meteorology and the Johnstone Shire Council. The system comprises a network of rainfall and river height field stations located on the Tablelands as well as the coastal plain which report via VHF radio to a base station computer located in the Council office in Innisfail.The field stations send reports for every 1 millimetre of rainfall and every 50 millimetre change in river height.
In consultation with the Johnstone Shire Council, the Bureau issues Flood Warnings for the Johnstone River.
The base station computer located in the Johnstone Shire Council office collects the data and has software that displays it in graphical and tabular form. The data is also received by the Bureau's Flood Warning Centre where it is used in hydrologic models to produce river height predictions.
Flood warnings and bulletins
The Bureau of Meteorology issues Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins for the Johnstone River catchment regularly during floods. They are sent to radio stations for broadcast, and to local Councils, emergency services and a large number of other agencies involved in managing flood response activities. Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins are available via :
Radio
Radio stations, particularly the local ABC, and local
commercial stations, broadcast Flood Warnings and River
Height Bulletins soon after issue.
Local response organisations
These include the Councils, Police, and State Emergency
Services in the local area.
Internet/World Wide Web
Flood Warnings, River Height Bulletins and other weather
related data is available from the following links:
- The Bureau of Meteorology
http://www.bom.gov.au/ - The Queensland Flood Warning Centre
http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld
Telephone weather
Flood Warnings are available through a recorded voice retrieval system, along with a wide range of other weather related and climate information.
Main Directory |
Flood Warnings |
Telephone weather services call charges:
1900 numbers: 77c per minute incl. GST; 1300 numbers: Low call cost - around 27.5c incl. GST. (More from international, satellite, mobile or public phones)
Weather by Fax
Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins are also available through a facsimile information retrieval system, along with a wide range of other weather related and climate information.
Main Directory (FreePoll) |
Fax No. 1800 630 100 |
Flood Warnings |
Fax No. 1902 935 065 |
River Height Bulletins |
Fax No. 1902 935 057 |
Weather by Fax Call Charges: 1902 numbers: 66c per minute, incl. GST; 1800 numbers: Free (More from international, satellite, mobile or public phones)
