Good read on the ABC today about Australia's declining weather observation stations - and the important work that historical climatologists like Linden Ashcroft do, unearthing old records of weather obs.

As a kid, my family kept daily rainfall observations - it was always fascinating looking at the old records.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-19/australias-shrinking-rainfall-observation-network/106502184

#Weather #Climate #WeatherAndClimate #Australia #YourABC

The quiet disappearance of Australia's rainfall observation network

For more than 60 years, Frank Pritchard has diligently checked the weather, adding to a record that stretches back more than a century. But he's part of a quietly shrinking network of observers around Australia. Without it, scientists say we risk missing out on important information that could help improve weather forecast models and climate projections.

Honestly it's really no surprise I ended up in the geo/environmental sciences.

A family that kept weather observations, participated in fish restocking, had a well-marked bird ID book where we recorded the first sighting of any bird, living in remote Australia, holidays spent camping in a swag for weeks on end, weekends swimming at waterfalls or snorkelling on the great barrier reef, growing up through the Big Dry, when we measured the family's water by feeling the rainwater tank and tracking the declining pressure of our bore...

I think sometimes my parents (a carpenter and a teacher's aide/school admin) wonder how I ended up where I am, but it's really their fault 😂 What other choice was there but to be a bit in love with the world and its processes?

@michcampbell we didnt do observations but I did spend the first 10 years of my life in the middle of nowhere with very little to do other than roam outside in the forests and fields, read, or play computer games. The games in question being (among other classics like commander Keen) SimPark and a DK EyeWitness Encyclopedia of Science 😂😂 also dad took me on hikes regularly since I was young enough to keep up. Gee I wonder why I'm currently doing a PhD in geology 🥲

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimPark

SimPark - Wikipedia

@kskehu a mystery!