The ‘Northern Australia Climate Program’ (NACP) delivers innovative research, development and extension outcomes to improve the capacity of the red meat industry to manage drought and climate risk across Northern Australia.
The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) leads the program in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the UK Met Office, State Departments of Agriculture in Queensland (DAF), Northern Territory (DITT), and Western Australia (DPIRD) and four Natural Resource Management groups.
Research delivers improvements in the Australian ACCESS-S operational general circulation model (GCM) through improved accuracy of multi-week to seasonal forecasts and a reduction in GCM biases and errors. Development delivers products requested by industry (and policy) including Northern Rainfall Onset, Drought Monitor, Rainfall Burst, Madden Julian Oscillation, Green Date, Heat Load Index, Chill Index, and Flash Drought. This website contains the Drought Monitor and other drought indices, a climate training course, case studies, regional climate guides, videos, and the Climate Outlook (issued monthly).
Extension, adoption and commercialisation uses Climate Mates, supported by UniSQ and BoM researchers to deliver a climate service to the red meat supply chain. This is focused on building awareness, knowledge and skills, and providing the support and confidence for clients to use weather and climate information in decision making.
Financial, environmental and social impacts are demonstrated through the collection and analysis of property data. The delivery of a commercial climate course with accredited trainers provides an avenue for adoption and impact beyond the life of the program.
Your local Climate Mate, Alet van Deventer, is available to provide education about what drives the climate in our region, and therefore, our weather. You can contact us to:
Enrol in our online course
Enrol online in our free, flexible learning Forecasting for Decision Making workshop. As your local Climate Mate, I am here to help with your learning. To get started, click here and follow the prompts.
Attend or host a workshop
Our free one-day workshops dive into understanding the mechanisms behind various climate drivers, identifying their significance to our region, and integrating this knowledge into our business and planning strategies. Minimum numbers are necessary, but, if you’re keen on joining a workshop, reach out, and we’ll arrange one tailored for your location.
Schedule a visit
Are you not ready to do a course and/or not sure where to start? Contact us to arrange a one-on-one property visit where we can discuss all things climate and weather at a time that suits you
Monthly Climate Updates
To sign up to the monthly Southern Gulf climate information email, click on the sign-up form link: Sign-Up
P: 07 4743 1888 M: 0475 879 322
climate@southerngulf.com.au
PO Box 2211, Mount Isa Qld 4825
112 Camooweal St, Mount Isa
This program is delivered by Southern Gulf NRM through funding provided by Meat and Livestock Australia, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), and the University of Southern Queensland.
A short course developed to educate producers and landholders on important climate for drivers for Northern Australia, and effective use of forecasting tools and decision making.
Professor Roger Stone provides a monthly Climate Outlook that is a timely review of information regarding forthcoming climate conditions based on the current phase of the Southern Oscillation Index and other key climate indicators including output from leading seasonal climate modelling centres around the world.
Provides interactive mapped forecasts for rainfall, wind, temperature and humidity.
Northern Australian Fire Information (NAFI) is a website that provides information on fire activity in Northern Australia, including fire maps, fire history data. and reports.
MyFireWatch allows you to interactively browse satellite observed hotspots.
A platform offering real-time alerts and comprehensive information on wildfires, floods, and storms across Australia.
Explore the projected changes and consider whether you may need to adapt one or more of your farm management strategies such as genetics, joining strategies, weaner management, stocking rates, grazing and land management and availability of shade and watering points.
Windy.com is an interactive weather service known for its detailed wind and weather visualisations.
This app provides access to the official weather information from the Australian Government, including hourly and 7-day forecasts, radar and warnings, and more. It's a reliable and free option.
This app is another popular option that offers detailed weather observations, 10-day forecasts, rain radar, BOM warnings, and more. It has a user-friendly interface and is a good all-around weather app.
This app is popular for its detailed weather information, including wind, rain, tide, swell, and UV forecasts, as well as BOM radar and satellite imagery. It's a great option for landholders who need a comprehensive view of the weather conditions.
Climate Monitor allows the user to analyse and graph minimum and maximum temperature and rainfall for all available years, calculate the thermal time (chill and heat units) and be able to retrieve, analyse and graph temperature thresholds (for a chosen location).
National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (US) provides updates and an overview of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.