It’s all we’re talking about at the moment. It’s winter and it’s cold. Though apparently not as cold as some are being led to believe.
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On Monday Orange residents woke to the news that as they slept the previous night the mercury dipped as low as -7.2 degrees Celsius.
While shy of the city’s record cold temperature of -7.7, it was still the coldest day of 2018. Monday night wasn’t much warmer, plunging as far as -6.7 degrees.
But elsewhere in the region, there has been something of a backlash against the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) after it admitted to publishing incorrect figures.
Originally reports on the BoM’s website showed Dubbo experienced temperatures of -7.1 degrees on Sunday. That’s since been revised to -6.
Questions need to be asked for those who rely on this data in their day-to-day lives.
Elsewhere in the Central West similar revisions to the minimum temperatures were required as well.
(Orange’s BoM figures from earlier in the week have remained in place, despite reports in some quarters that Sunday’s minimum was a Siberian-like -14 degrees).
Regardless, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was out by a degree or two, right? Depends on who’s answering the question.
The livelihoods for those that work on the land revolve around weather readings and patterns, which is why questions need to be asked, especially what else might they have wrong?
For a farmer, knowing the correct weather means so much. The amount of moisture in the soil changes the way the farmers may manage spray events, and also ensures better herbicide is applied at full rates to the target weeds.
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Knowing when it may rain can help farmers plan, even just when it comes to purchasing feed, especially when it has to come from out of state at the moment.
Surveyors and engineers set instruments in regards to weather and temperature, particularly when measuring to such exact measures that light refraction plays a role.
Having the correct temperature impacts so many professions, and while for those living in town it’s a hot topic around the ‘water-cooler’ in the office, for others it had a major impact on their income.
So yes, questions need to be asked for those who rely on this data in their day-to-day lives, and most of all technology needs to be up-to-date and accurate, so the best and most accurate information can be provided.