To get a full picture of what the weather is doing requires a presence in faraway places.
Alongside a nationwide fleet of 69 radars, the Bureau of Meteorology's observation network includes 720 automatic weather stations, with some located on the earth's southernmost continent.
At isolated Antarctic locations with dedicated automatic weather stations (AWS), the Bureau ensures long-term climate trends are captured and documented.
They also provide valuable forecasting tools for aviation and station operations, for which upper-air observation programs using balloons are also important.
Each observation site in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions has unique characteristics.
Mawson
At Mawson, a research station south of the Antarctic Circle, the terrain shapes the cold, strong katabatic winds flowing off the Antarctic continent to the station on the coast.
Katabatic winds form as very cold, dense air from the elevated east Antarctic Ice Sheet flows downhill under the force of gravity.
They barrel through Mawson, which hosts a bureau office and observation equipment.
Casey
More than 2,000 km east of Mawson and almost 4,000 km due south of Perth, Casey Station sits on the edge of the Antarctic ice cap.
Like Mawson, Casey is home to a bureau office and observation equipment relaying data back to Australia which is then shared with global observation networks.
To the east of Casey sits an icy mountain called Law Dome and to the station's south-west, Vanderford Glacier lies at the southern end of Vincennes Bay.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Matthew Thomas said while Casey does not experience the same katabatic wind conditions as Mawson, its extreme location on the Antarctic Bailey Peninsula makes aspects of getting to the site unique.
"Most people arriving at Casey do so via aircraft, landing at an ice runway at Wilkins Aerodrome on the Petersen Glacier about 70km south-east of Casey," Mr Thomas said.
"To prepare the runway, crew must clear away the snow to ensure a smooth surface for the aircraft to safely land."
In an environment fraught with hazards to aviation, the bureau's work at these locations also facilitates safe flight operations through the provision of aviation forecasts and weather observations.
Both Casey and Davis stations receive polar-orbiting satellite data critical to providing forecasts in support of safe aviation operations.
Davis
While everyday bureau observers and engineering staff undertake manual surface and upper-air observations in Antarctic conditions such as blizzards, some of the bureau's southernmost sites are not snow-dusted 365 days of the year.
Mr Thomas said Davis Station was dry like a desert during the summer.
Davis is located on the edge of the Vestfold Hills, one of the rare Antarctic ice-free areas known as "Antarctic oases".
"While that can make for a drier and dustier feel at the station, it provides a large and relatively safe area near the station for expeditioners to explore," Mr Thomas said.
Macquarie Island
Meanwhile, the biodiverse sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, 34 km long and about halfway between Antarctica and Australia, hosts a remote station in the Southern Ocean.
Mr Thomas spent several weeks in 2015 and again in 2022 working on Macquarie Island during the annual station resupply, sharing the station with the penguins, seals and birdlife that are free to roam across the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Currently in Tasmania, the Bureau of Meteorology Oceans and Antarctic team lead Rachel McInerney is mid-preparation for a year-long stint on the Island as a technical observer.
"We'll be departing for Macquarie Island in March and will changeover with the current bureau crew on the Island," she said.
"We'll continue to support observations, including monitoring ozone in the atmosphere, as well as a number of other monitoring projects in support of partner agencies."
Both Macquarie Island and Davis Station in Antarctica are key sites across a global network monitoring ozone in the atmosphere as part of the Montreal Protocol.
Headed to these southern locations, operational staff usually leave from Tasmania, a state home to several AWS located on rugged terrain such as on Maatsuyker Island and Cape Sorell and only accessible by helicopter.
You can find out more information about bureau weather stations as well as Antarctic and Southern Ocean weather services on the bureau's website.
