Australian couple seeks automatic weather station to preserve 63-year rainfall record
Ernie and Merrillyn Cole want to replace manual observations with technology so they can travel while maintaining local data.
An elderly Australian couple is appealing to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to install an automatic weather station at their home in Victoria's Mitta Mitta Valley, according to the Times of India. Ernie Cole, 86, and Merrillyn Cole, 82, have been recording rainfall from the same property since 1963.
The couple began their manual observations when Ernie worked as a forestry officer. Merrillyn eventually took over the daily task of monitoring weather conditions. They aim to transition to an automated system to ensure the long-term continuity of the regional weather record as they wish to travel.
Ernie Cole stated that measurements must continue from the exact same location to ensure future readings remain comparable to historical data. This is significant in the Mitta Mitta Valley, where rainfall can vary by approximately 300 millimetres across short distances.
The BOM has not confirmed if it will install a new station at the property. The bureau noted that there are two automatic weather stations about 39 kilometres away and an automated rain gauge six kilometres from Mitta Mitta. The bureau also said there are no current plans to stop volunteer rainfall observations in the town.
Until a solution is reached, the couple will continue manual recording. Their neighbour, retired pilot Russell Kelly, has been assisting by maintaining observations when the Coles travel to ensure the records are not interrupted.